Before and After
by Shaddic
Summary: This is the story of Mike and Mal's past before Mike was adopted by the Skinners and what took place after.
1. Birth

_**Author's Note:**__ This is my personal headcanon about Mike and Mal when Mike was a kid. This story is split into two parts: part 1 is done in first person perspective from Mal's point of view and is very dark, part 2 is in third person and is much lighter. _This story is very different from most Mike and Mal headcanons. You may not agree with all or parts of it, and that's okay, I hope you can still enjoy it all the same. __

**Part 1: The Wise Family**

**Prologue**

Mal isn't one you'd expect to hear truth from. That isn't to say he always lies, but he does have a strong tendency towards deception. But there is one lie that he has been telling everyone, and himself, for years.

That he started out as a blank slate.

Mike believes that he didn't give Mal a personality when he first came to be inside his mind. He was his first, and his existence was unintentional. Unlike the others, Mal had no backstory or even a name. He was a personality without a personality.

But that simply is not true.

Mike did give him a personality, but it was the most tragic one of all. When Mal gave Mike back the memories he had taken and held onto for so long, he made sure to keep the ones that revealed his true identity, because really, it was never his identity at all. It was stolen from another.

Though Mal's past is one of pain and misery and fear, it does not haunt him. The crimes he committed throughout his life do not haunt him. Those who know him believe him to be untouchable, unreachable, but there is one thing, and one thing only, that haunts him. And that is his true name. Only one of Mike's alternate personalities knows his true name, but she keeps his secret, not to protect him, but to protect Mike. The rest know him only as Mal, the name he gave himself. What would they do if they were allowed to remember the truth? What would Mike do? We will never know, because Mal held on to that secret and kept it hidden his entire life.

To find out his secret, we must go back to the very beginning, when Mike's personalities first became more than just ideas, more than just imaginary friends.

* * *

><p>My first memory is of darkness.<p>

It took a long time to discover that I existed, that I had a body, that in my own way, I was alive. It took even longer to form thoughts, and to process the new sensations around me.

I couldn't see anything, but I was aware of my body. I wiggled my toes, and waved my hands above my head. I was sitting down, but when I tried to stand, I found that I was in a very small place, and I had no room to move around.

I didn't know any words yet, but I could find them in my head if I looked hard enough. As I searched for a way out of the dark space, two words came to me: wood, and door. There was a wooden door, and a door meant an exit. But it would not open, and a third word came to me: locked.

It didn't even occur to me then to ask for help, because I had no words, and I hadn't yet realized that I had a voice to speak with. So I sat there in the dark and quiet, wondering if I was to stay here forever. I began to believe that there was nothing else, that the world consisted of me, only me, the locked door, and the dark. I was frightened and confused, but I didn't know what to do about it, so I did nothing.

I had no concept of time then, and so I have no idea how long I was in there. I became aware of a painful sensation in my stomach, and my throat was dry, but I could not understand why.

But then the door opened and I tumbled out. I landed on my back, and I shielded my eyes against something painful. What was it? I was sure it had a name. Ah yes, light. It was so bright after so long in the dark.

I looked at my surroundings. At the time I had no words for any of what I was seeing, but looking back I saw a living room connected to a kitchen. The floor was hardwood, and the couches were made of leather. It was a lovely house.

"You may come out now, Mike," said a woman. She had light, curly brown hair.

"Who's Mike?" Those were my first words. I didn't know how I had made sound, it seemed to come naturally. I found that I liked the sound of my voice, I liked making sound.

The woman looked down at me disdainfully, and I wondered if I had done something wrong. "Go to your room, Mike, and don't let me hear a sound."

I tried to stand and walk, but I didn't know how to make my legs work, so I fell on my face. I decided to crawl, instead.

"What are you doing, child? You're five years old, act your age. Get up and walk!"

My arms and legs were asleep from being in such a cramped space for so long, and I was new to the whole walking thing, but I didn't dare disobey. I didn't know this woman, but she seemed familiar, and something about her told me to be wary around her. I pulled myself up on my hands and knees, and then I stood to my feet. I forced them to move, and I managed to keep my balance enough to walk up the stairs. I had no grace, but at least I could walk.

I don't know how I knew, but I was able to find my room without any difficulty. There were two beds, I sat down on the smaller one, not knowing what else to do with myself.

I looked at the room I was in. The walls were stark white, and there was a single window. Outside I could see the sun and other houses. All this seemed familiar to me. The floor was carpeted, and there were no toys. The room was very clean.

The woman had called me Mike, and though the name wasn't mine, it sounded very familiar. Did I have a name? I was sure I did, but at the moment I couldn't think of it. I didn't know who I was, where I was, or why I was here.

The woman brought me half a sandwich and a glass of milk not long after. She opened the door and set the plate on the floor and then left without a word. Without really understanding why, I lunged for the food and scarfed it down ravenously. Once it was all gone, I wanted more, but the pain in my stomach wasn't as bad and my throat was no longer dry. I was now able to form thoughts easier, and the words hunger and thirst came to me.

I felt a presence in my head, and then I remembered. This body does not belong to me. I didn't fight the presence, and it took back control of the body. I could no longer move my arms or legs, I was powerless inside his mind. It was a huge relief, I didn't know what to do with a body.

"How did I get back in here?" As soon as I heard the voice, I knew that this was Mike.

Memories instantly came flooding back to me, confusing at first, but then they all came together like a puzzle and seemed to make sense. I knew exactly who I was. My name was Jake, and Mike was my big brother. This was the room we shared, and I was sitting on my bed. How could I have forgotten? It seemed so silly that I had forgotten. But why was I in Mike's mind? I had no idea, but I was sure he would know. He was older and smarter than me, he always answered my questions. Maybe he could tell me what was going on. I wasn't sure how to speak to him yet from in here, but I was determined to learn.

* * *

><p>I slept for a long time, but I don't know how long. All I know is that the next time I was in control of the body, it was not my doing. I was suddenly thrust into control, just in time to feel a fist collide with my cheek.<p>

"Answer me when I ask you a question!" a man yelled at me. He looked kind of like an older version of Mike.

I had no idea what he had asked, or who he was, or what I had done to make him so angry. All I knew was that this man was dangerous, and I was terrified. I made a run for it, and I was almost to the door, but he grabbed me by the neck and threw me to the floor.

He hit me again when I didn't speak. I had not known pain before this and I hoped I would never experience it again. I covered my face with my arms to try to protect myself, but it offered little protection.

"You had better answer me right now, or so help me I will break your arm," he growled. "I've done it before, I'll do it again. Now, tell me why you smashed my CDs!"

I frantically searched my mind for the answer so that he might let me go. I found a memory that seemed to match with his question and blurted it out.

"Mommy smashed them!" So that was who the woman was, Mike's mommy. My mommy. And this man was Daddy. "She got mad because you were gone so long. I watched her do it! I asked her not to, but she wouldn't listen! I didn't break them, please don't hurt me again!"

That was the most words I had spoken at once since moving into Mike's head, but that didn't impress him. "You little liar!"

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. I tried to block out the pain, but there was too much of it and not enough of me. Every punch, every kick, every slap, and finally, the snapping of bone made it very hard to stay awake, but I could not fall asleep, the pain was too intense for that.

Daddy eventually grew tired, but he wouldn't let me go to my room. Instead, he sent me outside to the old doghouse to sleep. My wrist hurt terribly, but at least it wasn't too cold out there.

In the doghouse, Mike's presence pushed for control again, and I gladly let him have it. He let out a loud cry of pain, but he quickly covered his mouth and stifled it to keep anyone form hearing.

"Where did these bruises come from?" he asked himself. "Oh no, is my arm broken again?"

"_Why do Mommy and Daddy hurt us?" _I was rather proud of myself for finally making contact with Mike.

"Who said that?"

"_Me. I'm here, inside your head. Why do Mommy and Daddy hurt us?" _I repeated.

"I don't know," Mike replied. "I guess I'm just bad. I try to be good, but I must be bad. Why else would they punish me?"

"_Do all parents do that to their kids?"_

"I don't know. Maybe."

"_It doesn't seem right."_

"It must be, they're my parents. Parents know everything. But who are you? Where did you come from?"

"_Mike, don't you recognize me? It's Jake, your brother."_

"Jake? But how can that be? You… you died five days ago. You're dead."

"_What's dead?"_

"It means you go away and don't come back."

"_But I'm here, I'm not gone, so I can't be dead. Aren't you glad I'm here? Are you mad at me because I accidentally used your body? Please don't be mad at me."_

"I'm not mad at you, I just don't understand how you can be back after… after what happened. Are you…are you my imaginary friend?"

"_What's an imaginary friend?"_

"It's, um… I think it's like a person only I know about and can play with. It's a make-believe person, it means they're not real."

"_But I am real, or I couldn't be talking to you."_

"Maybe you're my guardian angel. I kept praying for one to protect me from… well, just protect me. You died and went to heaven and came back as my guardian angel."

Was I really his guardian angel? Was that why I was here, to protect Mike? I didn't like that idea, I didn't want to feel pain again. But protecting him would give me purpose, and everyone has to have a purpose, or what's even the point of being alive?

"_Can I be your guardian angel and still be your brother?"_

"Yes, yes of course!"

"_Then I'll be your guardian angel, Mike. I don't want you to get hurt anymore. I'll watch over you."_

"Thank you. I've never had a guardian angel before, maybe things will be better now."

"_I hope so."_

"And I'm so glad you're back, Jake. I missed you so much, you don't know how much."

Despite the cold and the pain, Mike was able to sleep peacefully for the first time in a long time, knowing that he was safe with his guardian angel.

But what I was wondering was how I died, and how I was here now. I wasn't too concerned, but I was curious. At least I was alive at all, that was the most important thing.

* * *

><p>The next day, Daddy left and Mommy took Mike to the doctor to put a cast on his wrist. I was scared of the doctor and Mike was too, so he was trying to make us both feel better.<p>

"_He's going to give us a shot, I don't like shots,"_ I said.

"I don't either, but they keep you from getting sick. I had the chicken pox last year, I hate being sick."

"_What's chicken pox? Does that mean you get turned into a chicken?"_

Mike laughed. "No silly, that's just what it's called. When Mommy told me I had it, I thought I would turn into a chicken at first, too. I was afraid I was going to grow feathers and start laying eggs. I don't know why they call it chicken pox if you don't turn into a chicken."

"_Well, as long as you don't turn into a chicken, I think getting sick is better than getting shots. I cried when I had to get my shots. But you were there and you held my hand while they did it, didn't you? It didn't hurt so much with you there. I tried to stop crying, I wanted to be brave."_

"You are brave, little brother."

"Mike, who on earth are you talking to?" Mommy asked.

"Jake. He's scared of the doctor so I'm making him feel better," Mike replied form the backseat.

"Oh, okay. You two rascals have fun back there."

"After he bandages my arm, he'll probably give me a lollipop. You like the grape ones, right?"

"_Yeah!"_

"See, the doctor's not so bad. He's a little scary, but he only wants to help people. He'll make my arm feel better."

When we got to the doctor's office, Mommy said to Mike, "Now, what are you going to tell the doctor?"

"I fell down the stairs."

"Good boy. Let's go inside."

Mommy signed us in and we went to the waiting room. It was painted bright yellow with pictures of smiling children hanging on the walls. She started flipping through magazines and Mike went to play with the toys on the floor.

"These toys are so cool, I wish I had ones like them at home." Mike picked up a Superman toy and made it fly through the air over his head. He could only play with his left hand.

"_Look Mike! It's an evil dinosaur, it's going to eat Superman's head off!"_

Mike dropped Superman and picked up the T-Rex. "You be Superman, I'll be the dinosaur. Roar! I'm going to eat you and everyone else on your planet! Dinosaurs will rule the world!"

"_Oh no! The planet is in danger! Only Superman can save the day! Take this, you giant lizard!"_

Mike made Superman punch the dinosaur and he threw it back into the toybox and slammed the lid closed. "No, I've been defeated! You just wait Superman, I'll get out of here, and when I do, you'll be sorry! But for now, I call on… the monkey king to take my place!" Mike took a stuffed monkey and tackled Superman with it.

"_A hero's work is never done! You belong at the zoo, monkey king!"_

"Michael Stilleto!" a nurse called. "The doctor will see you now."

"_Do we really have to go?"_ I asked.

"Come on Mike, quit fooling around," said Mommy.

Mike got to his feet and followed the nurse to one of the patient rooms. Mike climbed on the table and swung his legs over the side. I could tell he was nervous, though he was trying to not let it show. Mommy sat down in the chair by the table, and her eyes glazed over.

"Hello, Mike," said the doctor when he came in. "How are you, buddy?"

"I'm fine, how are you?"

"Good, I'm good. Wow Mike, this is your third time to see me this year. Did you come just to visit me?"

"No, I broke my arm again. It was an accident, I was playing too close to the stairs and I tripped and fell down," Mike recited his lines like a pro.

"That's what happened the last time you came in here with a broken bone. Are you sure that's what really happened?"

"Yes, I'm just really clumsy. I'm sorry you have to put another cast on it, I'll try not to do it again."

"Don't be sorry, son, accidents happen to us all. Now, let me take a look at it."

Mike hesitantly held out his arm for the doctor to inspect. He put his hands on it and Mike cried out.

"Yup, it's broken all right. We'll have to do an x-ray to see how far the crack goes, if it's a partial break or all the way through."

Mike hated x-rays, but he didn't argue.

"_Ask if he's going to give you a shot."_

"Are you going to give me any shots?" Mike asked.

"No, all your shots are up to date."

Mike and I both let out sighs of relief.

"_It's just an x-ray, at least they won't be poking us with anything,"_ I told him.

Mike endured the x-ray and afterwards the doctor showed him the x-ray of his arm.

"The break runs clean through, I'll have to set the bone before I put a cast on. Brace yourself, it's going to hurt very much."

I took control the second before he set the bone. I screamed and bit down on my other arm as tears leaked and ran down my face. It took everything in me to not run away as fast as I could. How could this be helping if it hurt so much?

"Very good Mike, you're a trooper," said the doctor. He started putting on the cast and said, "Say, where's little Jake? Shouldn't he be with you?"

"I am Jake," I replied. "Please don't give me any shots, either."

"Pardon?" said the doctor.

"I'm Jake," I repeated. "Hi."

"Oh, I get it, you're pretending to be your little brother. Is this a game you made up?"

"No, it really is me, Jake. Why is that so hard to understand?"

The doctor just laughed it off. "You have such a wild and vibrant imagination, Mike. It's good for kids to have a healthy imagination, it keeps things interesting. Miss Stiletto, bring Mike back in three weeks so I can make sure his arm is healing properly, and bring Jake in to see me, too. It's always a pleasure to see you two boys."

"Thank you, doctor."

The doctor held out a jar of lollipops. "Pick a sucker, you earned it."

It was laughable that he thought that he could make me forget the pain of what I'd just went through with just a piece of sugar on a stick, but I took one anyway. I didn't get candy often. I chose a purple one and put it in my mouth.

"Come now, Mike," said Mommy.

I let Mike take back control as we were leaving the doctor's office. In the car, Mike took out a marker to draw on his cast. "At least it's my right arm that's broken so I can still draw. What should I draw, Jake?"

I was about to answer, when Mommy said, "Don't be ridiculous, Mike. Jakey's dead, you can't talk to a dead person."

"He's here with me right now. He came with us to the doctor. Don't you remember? He was afraid of getting a shot."

"Don't be stupid, you know better than that. Jakey's gone, I don't want to hear you talking to him anymore. He's not a ghost, he's gone, end of story."

Why was Mommy so adamant about this? On the way here she seemed perfectly fine with the idea of Mike talking to me, now she wanted him to stop? And why wouldn't she believe him? Didn't she want me back? I was her son, she should be glad to have me back. Did she not want me anymore? Did I do something wrong? Why didn't she love me anymore?

"I know you're here, Jake," Mike whispered so only I could hear. "I know."


	2. Playtime

"What do you think? Do you think it's good enough for a king?"

Mike and I were at the playground, playing in the sandbox, and Mike had sculpted a sandcastle. It was pretty mediocre, especially since he had to work around the cast on his broken wrist, but it was the best one I had ever seen, so I thought it was magnificent.

The sun had barely risen, and there were no other kids on the playground. It was one of those rare days when Mommy was in a good mood and let us outside. Mike knew because she had made him waffles, something she only ever did when she was happy. I remember eating her waffles and how delicious they were. I had already asked him why he insisted on getting up so early to play, but he wouldn't say. I would find out why later.

"_What's a king?"_ I asked. I didn't know much, but Mike was always willing to explain things to me. Earlier, he had attempted to explain the differences between the different flowers that grew around the park. They all looked the same to me.

"It's a guy who rules over other people."

"_Do we have a king?"_

"No, but other places do."

"_You think I could ever be a king?"_

"Sure you could."

Just then, some boys a little older than Mike entered the gate to the playground. I could feel Mike grow nervous, but I didn't know why.

"We should go now," he said as he stood to his feet.

"_No!"_ I replied, and without even really meaning to, I took control. I got back down in the sand. "I want to build my own castle, the biggest one ever!"

"_We really need to go," _he pleaded.

"Just a minute. We just got here, why should we leave now?"

There were three other boys, and the biggest one stood right in front of me. He had shaggy brown hair and he had on dirty jeans and a filthy white shirt.

"Hey there, pipsqueak. Whatcha doing?"

"Building a sandcastle."

"_Run!"_ Mike shouted, but I saw no reason to. I didn't understand why he was so afraid.

"Is that so? Here, let me help you."

The boy stomped on the castle I had been building, and Mike's.

"Hey! Mike worked hard on that, and I wasn't even finished with mine!"

The boy gave me a strange look. I searched for Mike in my mind to ask why, but he was nowhere to be found.

The boy grabbed me by the neck and shoved my face in the sand. My eyes burned and I couldn't breathe. He let me back up, and he and his friends started laughing and left me alone after that.

It took several minutes for my eyes to stop burning. As soon as I could see again and my eyes stopped watering, Mike came back.

"What happened?"

"_I know why you wanted me to run. I remember coming out here with you now, and how those boys would pick on us, and they still do. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, but why do they like being mean?"_

"I'm smaller than them, and they just don't like me."

"_Where did you go? Where were you? It's like you weren't even in my head anymore."_

"I don't know, I just, went away. It's like I fell asleep. I don't remember any of it. It happened when that boy came, and I got really scared. I'll try to stay next time."

"_No, no don't. It's my job to protect you. This is a good thing."_

"But I'm the big brother. It's the big brother's job to take care of the little brother."

"_But I'm your guardian angel, so I have to take care of you."_

The man who tended the garden nearby heard him talking and came up to tell him, "Don't talk to yourself, kid. That's just nutty."

"I'm not talking to myself, I'm talking to my brother."

"I don't understand parents encouraging their kids to make stuff up, it makes no sense at all."

Mike went straight home, and from that day forward, I listened when Mike told me not to do something.

* * *

><p>Mommy was sweet and nice that day, but the very next, it was as if someone had flipped a switch.<p>

Mike was in the bathtub when she barged in on us and started yelling at him. Most of it didn't even make sense, it was incoherent shouting. It scared Mike and he apologized over and over, but she wasn't listening.

She made him get out of the tub. He barely had time to wrap a towel around himself before she forced him out the door.

Then, the switch flipped again and she knelt down to hug him.

"My sweet little Mikey, don't ever leave mommy. You won't ever leave mommy, right?"

"I won't."

It flipped again. Her loving expression went sour, then furious. "Yes you will! You're a liar, just like your father! He tells me he loves me, but then he leaves and doesn't come back for ages. You'll be just the same, won't you?"

"I promise I won't!"

"More lies! You're an evil child Mike, I should put you to sleep, like your brother and sister."

I wasn't sure what she meant by that, and neither was Mike.

"Mommy, Jake came back."

"I told you he's dead!"

"I know he died! But he came back, he came back as an angel. He talks to me. Will Lizzie come back, too?"

"No, she won't! Jakey is gone forever because they tried to take him away from me. I kept him safe, they never got their hands on him. The baby was bad, and she's never coming back either! Are you going to be bad anymore, Mike? Do you want to die like they did?"

"No! I promise I'll be good!"

"We'll just see about that. Some time alone will do you good, we'll see how bad you are after time in the closet."

"No, Mommy, no!" cried Mike. But she wouldn't listen, and she forced Mike into the tiny closet. There was a broom and a mop, but nothing else. There was just barely enough space for Mike. No light could get in, and he was terrified of the dark. Not to mention cold from getting out of the bath.

I scrounged for a word for the way Mommy acted and came up with crazy. Yes, she was definitely crazy. Mike seemed normal, though.

"_Mike, how old was I when I died?"_

"Three. You had just turned three a few weeks before. I was teaching you new things, and we always played together."

"_How did I die?"_

"You drowned in the bathtub, and Mommy made me dig your grave. I thought I'd never see you again, but you came back. I don't know how, but you did."

A memory flashed before my eyes. Mike was carrying me, and I wasn't moving. I was wrapped in my favorite blanket, my eyes closed as if asleep. He was crying as he carried me, he carried me outside after dark and gently put me in a shallow grave in the backyard. I shuddered at it, I never wanted to think about it again.

"_Where is Lizzie? Why isn't she here with us?"_

But even as I asked, the memory came back to me. Mike was trying to take care of his baby sister, but she stopped breathing. Why had she stopped breathing?

"She died like you did, but she didn't come back."

"_Why did she die? Where is she now?"_

"I don't know, but I miss her. I'm glad I have you though. I'm not so sad with you around. Everyone should have a little brother."

I could feel Mike's fear, and I wanted it to stop. I searched for a distraction in what I had learned from him, and I found a story called The Three Little Pigs. I didn't remember the story very well so I had little to work with, but I took what I could glean and told it to him.

"_Hey Mike, you want to hear a story?" _

He had started to cry, but he said, "Yes."

"_Once upon a time, there were three little pigs and their friend, the wolf. The wolf helped each pig build a house, but he was very bad at building houses, and so they all fell down. They got mad at the wolf, and it made him sad since he couldn't make good houses, so he ran away. He decided to practice building houses by himself so that he could make it up to his friends. He built a house out of straw, but the wind blew it down. Then he made a house out of sticks, but the wind blew that one down, too. Then he made a third one, this one made out of bricks, and he sat on it so the wind couldn't blow it down. He waited for the wind to stop blowing, and then he went to get the pigs and show them the house he had made. The pigs were so happy to have a good house that they told the wolf they were sorry, and they even let him stay in the house with them, and they lived happily ever after. The end."_

Mike, in spite of everything, burst out laughing.

"_Did I do it wrong?"_ I thought it was a good story.

"No, no, it was great. I've just never heard it told that way before. I want to hear it that way from now on. Do another, another!"

"_Um, okay. Well, let's see what we have here to work with."_ I searched through my memory of stories, once again only getting bits and pieces. I couldn't be sure which bits belonged to which stories, but I did my best. _"There's one about a prince who kisses a princess and she turns into a bear that eats porridge, or one about a girl who has to guess the name of an imp, and when she guesses correctly, she gets a house made of candy. Which do you want?"_

"You pick!"

Before I started the next, I asked, _"Mike, we're more than brothers, we're best friends, right?"_

"Yeah, of course we are."

"_And we'll always be friends, right?"_

"We always will be, forever."

I didn't stop telling Mike stories until he was let out of the broom closet, which wasn't until two days later. The dark didn't bother him so much this time. I was doing a good job as guardian angel.

* * *

><p>Mike often had periods where he would get all shaky and have trouble focusing on anything. He would get sick and throw up, or black out. He would panic and have trouble breathing, it was like he was having a breakdown. At the time I had no idea what was wrong with him, but looking back on it now, I know these to be anxiety attacks. I wasn't sure what caused them, but I had a feeling it had something to do with our parents.<p>

I always got very scared when they happened, and they happened a lot. The best I could do was try to comfort him, beyond that I had no idea what to do. I would try to talk him through it, help him calm down. I couldn't take over for him when they were going on, and so I always felt helpless. It was always such a huge relief when his breathing returned to normal and the storm passed.

"I feel like I'm going crazy when they happen," Mike told me one day when I asked him what they felt like.

"_You're not crazy, Mike. I know you're not." _

"I know Jake, it just feels like it. I hope you never have to go through one of those, it's the worst feeling in the world."

I didn't doubt it. I never wanted to find out what it felt like to be insane.

* * *

><p>I was very excited on my first day of preschool. Mommy dropped us off, and I was enthralled by everything I saw. There were toys and art supplies and books and kids, so many kids. I wanted so badly to take control, to experience that all for myself, but I couldn't take that from Mike. I had to settle for spectating while he did everything I wanted to do.<p>

He went over to a box of legos and started putting them together. Another little boy and a girl came over and started building legos with him. They both had dark skin and hair like Mike did.

"Hey Mike. What happened to your arm?" the boy asked.

"Hey Brian, hi Tina. I tripped and fell down the stairs, I'm so clumsy."

"Can I draw something on your cast? Actually, I don't think there's any room, you already drew all over it. Your drawings are cool, though. What are you making?"

"I'm making a rocket ship, you want to help?"

"Sure!" said Tina. "I'll build the bottom, Brian can make the middle, and you do the top, Mike."

"Okay!" said Mike, and he eagerly got to work.

"_Make it as big as you!"_

"Jake says we should make it as big as me."

"Who's Jake?" asked Brian.

"Is he your imaginary friend?" asked Tina. "I have an imaginary friend, too. Her name's Suzy, and she's sitting over there." Tina pointed to an empty chair across the room.

"_There's nothing there."_

"Do you have an imaginary friend, Brian?" asked Mike.

"Not anymore. I did when I was four, but I gave him up. I kind of wish I hadn't, you guys must have so much fun with yours."

"_How can you just give up an imaginary friend? Where do they go?"_

"Hey Mike, Suzy wants to meet Jake. Does Jake want to be friends?"

"Do you want to be friends, Jake?" Mike asked.

"_Friends with what? That chair is empty."_

"He'd love to," said Mike.

"Suzy says hi, Jake!"

"_Am I talking to air?"_

"Jake says hi!" said Mike.

"Suzy wants Jake to have a tea party with her. Does Jake like tea?"

"_Is the tea invisible, too?"_

"Jake loves tea, he'd love to go to Suzy's tea party."

"Great! Suzy and Jake can play their own game while we build our rocket ship."

"_This girl is weird."_

Mike took longer in building his part of the rocket due to his cast, but once he was done he put it on top of Brian and Tina's parts.

"What do you think, Jake?" Mike asked.

"_It's not as big as you, but it's still pretty cool. You could fly to the moon in it."_

"Jake likes it."

"Suzy does too, but she wishes it was pink."

"Children, it's time to go outside!" the teacher announced.

"Come on guys, let's go!" said Brian eagerly.

Mike followed the other kids outside. Brian and Tina went to play with their other friends, and Mike was left alone again. He wanted to speak to the other kids, but he didn't know what to say. He could talk to people, but he wasn't good at starting conversations. At least this meant that we got to play by ourselves, it was more fun this way.

"_Mike, let's play detective. You have to look all over the playground for clues."_

Mike instantly perked up. "It's the case of the Queen's missing jewels! Only I can find them!"

"_Not if I find them first!"_

Mike ran to the swings first to look for clues.

"_Why was Tina pretending Suzy was there when she wasn't?"_

"Remember, an imaginary friend is only someone you know about. Only Tina can see Suzy, just like only I can hear you."

"_Oh, okay. That makes sense. It's still weird though."_

"I guess that's why people have a hard time believing you're really here. They can't hear you, so they don't believe me when I tell them you came back."

"_If only there was a way to prove it to them, but I don't know how."_

"I'll think of something. Hey look, a green pen cap, our first clue!" Mike picked the green pen cap out of the dirt.

"_You should go check under the slide next."_

"Good idea."

Mike ran to the slide and searched under it. "There's nothing here."

"_Wait a minute, look by the ladder. I think I saw something."_

Mike checked by the ladder. "A gum wrapper, very mysterious. I bet there are fingerprints on it. This leads me to believe that the next clue is at the merry-go-round."

Mike ran over to the merry-go-round. Three kids were spinning it round and round. Mike circled it three times before he found anything.

"A penny! We're almost there, I can feel it!"

"_The monkey bars! That's where the jewels are!"_

Mike ran as fast as he could to the monkey bars. He had to duck to avoid being hit by the kids climbing across the bars.

"_There! I saw something shiny, it must be the jewels!"_

Mike got down on his hands and knees and spotted it. It was a rhinestone.

"We did it! We solved the case and found the missing jewels!" Mike cheered.

"_Let's move onto out next case!"_

Mike was rising to his feet but suddenly froze. He got back on the ground and put his head down.

"_What is it, Mike? What's wrong?"_

Mike lifted his head just enough for me to see what he had seen. I gasped.

"_What's Daddy doing here? Is he here to hurt us?"_

"No, I think we'll be fine as long as I don't draw attention to myself," he whispered.

"_Maybe you should run."_

"No, he'll see me for sure if I do. I don't think he's noticed me."

"_I'm scared, Mike."_

"I am too."

Daddy walked right past us and went to two other children, Brian and Tina.

"Daddy!" they both shouted. They ran to him and he picked them up in a hug.

"How are my sweet darlings today? Did you have fun in school?"

"We built a rocket to go to the moon!" said Brian.

"Suzy told me a really funny joke, do you want to hear it?" asked Tina.

"Sure! You can tell it to me in the car. We're going to meet your mother at the fair."

"Yay!" they both squealed.

He carried them out of the playground, he didn't seem to notice Mike.

"_I don't understand. If he's our dad, how can he be their dad, too?"_

"I don't know. We have different moms, but the same dad. I don't know how it happened or why."

"_They really seem to love him, he's a good dad to them. Why is he so good to them and so mean to us?"_

"They must be good kids. He wouldn't hurt me if I was good. I try so hard to be good, but nothing works. I guess I'll always be bad."

"_I don't think you're bad, Mike. I think they're bad."_

"Don't say that! Grownups are smart, kids don't know anything. If they think I need to be punished, then I must deserve it."

"_I don't believe it. You're the nicest person I know, you've never done anything to deserve what they do to you."_

"Maybe I just have a bad heart, and only grownups can see it. They see that I'm bad, and they're trying to make me good again. That must be it."

"_If beating you and locking you away is what it takes to make you good, then you'd be better off bad."_

"I don't want to be bad."

"_Neither do I, but I don't want you to die, like I did. You might not come back. I don't know what I would do without you, you're my big brother."_

"I wish Dad would love me, too."


	3. The New People

Mike didn't live alone with Mommy, our grandfather lived there, too.

He was an old man, and to me, he was just as crazy as his daughter. He couldn't remember things, and he'd tell the same stories over and over. He couldn't walk either, most of the time he sat in front of the television in his wheelchair. He never spoke a word that wasn't complaining about something.

The weirdest thing about him was that he didn't recognize himself in mirrors. When I first looked in the mirror, I was surprised to see that I didn't look any different than Mike when I was in control. In my memories I looked different, but I wasn't worried. But when Grandpa looked at the mirror, he thought he was seeing another person, and he hated him.

"Get that blanket off the mirror!" he yelled one day when Mike tried to cover the mirror. He didn't like watching Grandpa argue with himself. "That man's lookin' at me, spying!"

"But Grandpa, it's just your reflection," Mike tried to explain to him.

"No, it's a man! He's plotting against me, gonna come get me one of these days! Then I'll be dead to die, long gone gone on the cold hard floor. I gotta watch him so he can't get me."

"Grandpa, please-"

"That's Chester to you! Call a man by his name. You dumb kids, always disrespecting your elders!"

Mike didn't try to cover the mirror again, but it still bothered him.

On rainy days, Mike would stay inside and color. He didn't have many toys, but he had collected as many crayons and colored pencils as he could find. He was great at drawing, I could barely draw at all.

"_What are you drawing now, Mike?" _I asked him one day as a thunderstorm raged outside. He was lying on his bedroom floor, quietly coloring with crayons.

"A person I made up. He's got huge muscles, and he's always tanned because he spends so much time working out outside. See how he's lifting weights? He can beat any opponent, no matter how big they are. He's always surrounded by girls wanting to date him, but he can't choose just one. He's the coolest guy ever."

"_Does he have a name?"_

"I haven't thought of one."

"_He should have a name. Names are very important."_

"Okay, how about… Vito! I saw a guy named Vito on TV once, he was a great surfer."

"_It suits him. Do you have any more people you've drawn?"_

"A few, I'll show them to you."

Mike went through his drawers that had more drawings than clothes. He pulled out two and showed them to me.

"This is Svetlana, she's a champion gymnast." The picture was of a tall brunette woman doing a handstand. "No one can top her, she never comes in second place. She's very proud of herself, but she's nice, too. She loves gymnastics more than anything, but she'll be your friend and look after you if she likes you."

"_Do all your characters live where we live?"_

"No, Svetlana's from another country. She can speak our language, but she has trouble using the right words sometimes, and she sounds kind of funny."

"_Why do people from other places talk funny?"_

"People from other places just talk different, I'm not sure why. I guess it would be boring if we all sounded exactly the same."

"_I guess that's true."_

"This guy comes from another country too," said Mike as he showed me a picture of a man with dirty blond hair wearing a fedora. He had a cocky grin on his face. "He spends all his time outdoors going on adventures. He comes across bad guys and wild animals that try to eat him, but he always escapes. He can survive anything."

"_He looks like a treasure hunter. Does he ever find treasure?"_

"You know what, he does! That's a great idea, Jake!" said Mike as he drew a treasure chest full of gold. "But he doesn't spend any of it, he doesn't do it for the money, he just loves the journey."

"_Maybe he spends all the money on more hats,"_ I suggested, and we both laughed. _"These characters are all so cool, Mike. How did you come up with them?"_

"Well, they've all got things I wish I had. Svetlana can do any trick on a balance beam, she's amazing. She's also very fast and athletic."

"_If you could do tricks like her, it would probably help you get away from those mean kids."_

"That's what I was thinking. And Vito is so cool and tough, with muscles like his, no one would ever dare challenge him. If I could fight like him, no one would ever bother me again. I mean, I don't want to hurt anyone, but maybe if I could defend myself they would leave me alone.

"And Manitoba's really cool, too. He always finds the hidden treasure and beats the bad guys. He's always on an adventure, never scared of anything. I wish I wasn't always so scared."

"_Mike, stop wishing to be things that you're not. You're not these people, you're just you, and that's okay."_

"I wish I wasn't just me. Just me isn't good enough for anyone, especially me."

"_I don't care if you're not any of those things. Just you is good enough for me."_

"Thanks, but I still wish I could be like them."

"Mike!" Mom yelled from outside the door. "Stop talking to yourself! It's not right!"

"_She talks to herself all the time,"_ I grumbled.

"I'll stop Mom!" Mike said, then to me, "She doesn't believe you're really back yet. I'll prove it to her somehow, but for now we need to be quiet so she doesn't get upset."

I didn't realize then that Mike meant it when he said he wanted to be like the people in his drawings. I could never have foreseen what was coming.

* * *

><p>During the times when Mike didn't need me, when I stayed inside his head, for a long time I was all by myself. If Mike was too busy to talk to me, then it meant I was all alone. This never bothered me, I liked being the one and only.<p>

So I wasn't exactly thrilled when I got my first roommate.

It didn't really count as a roommate, per se. The thing was horribly disfigured, its face grotesque. It couldn't speak well or form rational thought, and it could do nothing more than hang around at the edges of Mike's mind. It was only half-formed, barely existent. At the time, I didn't know what to make of it. If I was an angel, what was this thing? To this day, when I think of monsters, I still think of it.

Mike's punishments only got worse as he grew older, and even though I took as many as I could, I wasn't strong enough to take them all. Mike had to take the hits, he had to deal with the frightening dark, and I was ashamed of myself for not doing my job. But that horrid creature in his mind sometimes did my job for me. The punishments only weakened it further, and I never saw it again, though I could still feel traces of it lingering in the seams of his mind, and I could occasionally hear its screams. Mike never knew it was there, and I didn't tell him about it. It frightened me.

But that was only the beginning. Many more creatures appeared just like it. They sometimes took his punishments, but they couldn't do much beyond that. They would occasionally take control, but never for very long. Mike never remembered it when they did. Mostly they haunted his nightmares, making him thrash and scream in bed. But he always forgot the nightmares by the time he woke up.

For one year, I was the only one in Mike's head. Or at least, I was the only one that had a brain. But then Grandpa died when he was six, and I wasn't the only one anymore. This one was the first one besides me that had a brain, but he didn't use it for much besides complaining, just like Grandpa. It seemed that he took all of Mike's frustration, because Mike didn't seem to get as frustrated after he arrived.

He was a little confused when he first showed up like I was, and it made me feel smart to know things he didn't.

"_Why is the sun so bright?" _he asked after his first day on the outside._ "They should turn it down, there's no need to go blinding everyone! And those danged birds! They were so loud, and they kept getting so close to me! And who's that Mike guy everyone kept calling me?"_

"_Why are you here?"_ I asked him. _"I should be the only one."_

"_Well, ya ain't! Get used to it."_

He didn't stay confused for long, and he seemed to know more than me. It was understandable; if I was four, and he was, well, old, then of course he would know more.

I wondered about Chester, because he told stories of the past that couldn't possibly be true, but he swore by them. At first I thought he was just making it up, but he really believed his tales. I had my memories from before, but I didn't have any stories to tell.

Then came the Olympian, who actually served a purpose other than to complain about all the things in the world that couldn't be changed. She was just as annoying as Chester, because all she ever talked about was getting Mike's body in peak physical condition. She also seemed to take over his survival instincts, because whenever we were outside and Mike felt threatened, whether by bullies or if we were just in a challenging environment, she would come out and get us out of it. She was just like the girl he told me about in the picture. I didn't like either of them very much, and when I told this to Mike, he assured me that we would all be friends soon. I took his word for it, but I had trouble believing it.

Next came Vito and Manitoba Smith at around the same time. I understood why they were here; both of them were cool, tough as nails, and fearless, just like Mike wanted to be. They all looked different, they all had different body types and different colored hair. It was very interesting.

"_How are you bringing your drawings to life?"_ I asked him one day. _"It shouldn't be possible, but they keep coming!_

"I didn't do it on purpose! I mean, I kept thinking that I wished I could be like them, and then they started appearing. I don't know how I did it."

"_Don't draw any more people! We're running out of room in here."_

"I won't."

"_You told me I was your guardian angel. How many do you need?"_

"I don't know."

"_And where do they come from? If I died and came back, did they do the same? How does this all work?"_

"I don't know, Jake. But I'm not worried about it, they're just my imaginary friends, and they're your friends, too."

"_I want them to leave. Mike, why can't it be just you and me, like it used to be? We're brothers, aren't we?"_

"We still are, but now we have more friends. I'm not lonely at all anymore, aren't you happy?"

"_No, I was happy before. Or at least, more than I am now. They just take up time in your body, you don't get to be out as much. Doesn't that bother you?"_

"A little, but they're just having fun."

"_That's another thing. They only come out for fun, never to help you when our parents are being hurting you, like I do."_

"They help with the bullies. They can't catch me anymore, it's great."

"_They escape, they don't take the hurt for you, like I do. I don't come out unless you need me, they couldn't care less. I don't like them."_

"You'll get used to them. I really like them, they're my friends. I want them to stay. Just wait, you'll learn to like them, too."

It was really starting to get crowded inside his mind, but I trusted Mike, and I wanted to get along with them. But more than that, I wanted them gone.

One day, we were at kindergarten during recess. None of the other kids talked to Mike much, but with us around he didn't mind anymore.

"Oi! Lookie here, a spider!" said Manitoba as he picked up a black spider with a red stomach.

"_Manitoba, spiders are deadly!"_ said Mike.

"Aw, she can't be deadly, she's too pretty to be deadly."

I could see the swings through Mike's eyes, and I wanted to swing on them.

"_Mike, do you think we could go swing?"_ I asked.

"_Sure!"_ said Mike.

But that didn't happen. Manitoba climbed a tall tree to look at the view.

"_Manitoba, we were going to go swing," _said Mike.

"Maybe later, platypus. We've got explorin' to do!"

I didn't say anymore after that, I was used to being ignored. There were so many things I wanted to do. I wanted to draw something with crayons, like Mike. I wanted to jump on the bed. I wanted to pet an animal, I wanted to swing. I wanted to do the things I used to do, the things I remembered doing in my memories. Really, I just wanted to have fun, and make my own decisions. But I felt guilty stealing that from Mike, so I never acted on my wishes.

Manitoba spotted a mountain and took off for it. He didn't care in the slightest that Mike needed to be in school, he only cared about having adventures. I took full control from him to keep from getting Mike in trouble.

"_Hey! I was doing something! I have to see what's on top of that mountain!"_

"You can another day, but Mike can't miss anymore school days or he'll get in trouble."

"_A little trouble never hurt anyone, mate."_

I gave control back to Mike, and we went back to class.

That night when we got home, Daddy was waiting for us. He was sitting in his chair in the center of the room. It was the comfiest chair in the house, but Mike was never allowed to sit in it, not even when Daddy wasn't home. Mike saw him and was going to sneak up to his room, when he called him over.

"Hello Michael, come here, son," he said pleasantly. He never called Mike by his preferred name.

Mike didn't know what to do. There was no way he wanted to do anything but hit him, but if he disobeyed, that would make him angry. He didn't move.

"I said, come here, please." His tone was still pleasant, but slightly more demanding this time.

"_Do not be doing it, Mike!" _said Svetlana, but Mike had no choice.

"Y-Yes, Dad?" he said.

"Look at me, son."

Mike couldn't bring himself to meet his eyes.

"I said, look at me." This time, it was more of a growl.

Mike forced himself to meet his eyes, but he wanted to run.

"There, now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Mike stayed quiet.

"So Michael, tell me about your day."

"I-I w-went to school."

"Stop stuttering."

"I-I'm tr-trying." He was so scared he could barely get the words out.

"What did you do at school?"

"I f-found some bugs, a-and I climbed t-trees."

"I said, stop stuttering. Are you scared of me, Michael?"

"I… I… I don't know," he answered, not sure what the correct answer was.

In a way, these talks were worse than the beatings themselves. He would pretend to be interested in him, pretend to care. All the while, Mike knew what was coming, and waiting for it scared him more than the pain itself. He knew it was inevitable, so he wished he would just get it over with.

"_One of us should take over,"_ I whispered to the others inside his head. _"Daddy's going to hurt him soon."_

"_I ain't goin' out there. That guy is nuts,"_ said Vito.

"_It is not our job to take ze pain for him,"_ said Svetlana. _"Ve protect him from ze bullies, but zere's nothing ve can do here. Anything ve do vill just make it vorse ven it happens. He is going to hurt, no matter who is in control when it happens."_

"_But we have to do something! Mike needs protecting."_

"_Mike can take care of himself,"_ said Chester.

"_And if anyone's gonna do it, isn't it supposed to be you, bandicoot? That's why you're here, right?"_ said Manitoba.

"_What are you talking about? I'm his brother, that's why I try to protect him. Why do you make me take it all on myself? Why won't you help?"_

"_It is not our place,"_ said Svetlana.

"Your mother tells me you've been talking to your imaginary friends a lot lately. Is this true?"

"W-Well, yes, but-"

"Didn't I tell you not to talk to them anymore? You can't talk to things that aren't real."

"Th-They feel real. They t-talk to m-me."

"Michael, you know your mother is insane, right?"

"A little."

"Do you want to be insane like her?"

"No."

"I didn't think so, but as long as you keep talking to these imaginary friends, you will be. You're only talking to yourself, son. Don't you want to be normal?"

"O-Of course I do."

"Do the other kids at school talk to imaginary friends?"

"S-Sometimes, not a lot though. N-Not as much as me."

"Exactly. You need to stop acting crazy and start acting normal. No one will like you unless you act normal. You want people to like you, right?"

"Yes."

"Yes, you do. Now, you haven't been telling people at school about me, right?"

"No, I haven't told anyone. I tell them I don't have a dad."

"Good boy, now are you going to do what I said?"

"Yes," he whispered.

"I can't hear you."

"Yes," he repeated, louder this time.

"Good, now give me a hug."

Mike didn't want to touch him in any way, but once again, he couldn't risk making him angry. Things only got worse when he was angry. He hugged his father, and for one fleeting moment, his father hugged him back. But then he gripped him by the hair and pulled, and tossed him onto the floor.

His father got several good hits and kicks on him, and I couldn't take it anymore. I took over for Mike and, unable to stop myself, I yelled, "Leave Mike alone!"

"Oh, pretending to be your imaginary friends again, are we Michael?" He gave me a swift kick to the ribcage, knocking the air out of my lungs. I coughed and gasped for air.

"I'm not imaginary!" I shouted at him. "It's me, your son, Jake!"

That surprised him and made him stop for a moment. "You're pretending your little brother is still alive?"

"It's not pretend, it's really me! Why won't you believe me?"

"You're pretending to be your dead brother. You're loonier than I thought. You're crazy, just like your mother. I'll have to try to fix it, but no promises."

Blow after blow, it seemed to never end. Why wouldn't he believe me? Mike did, why didn't he? And why did he hurt us all the time? I had seen fathers on television hugging their children and making them smile. I had seen him hug his other children, why not Mike and me? He only brought pain and terror with him when he came to visit. Why?

Finally, he stopped. He knelt down on the floor and lifted up my head by my hair. It took effort just to focus on his face. He said, "Now Michael, I don't want to here anymore of this Jacob business. He's dead, and people don't come back from the dead. Playing make believe doesn't make anything real, certainly not your dead brother. If you bring him up again, I will make you go outside and dig up his grave so you can see his bones, maybe that will convince you that he's not here. Have I made myself clear?"

I nodded yes. There was no way I was going to argue with him, not when he held all the power.

He finally let me go back to Mike's room. I had to crawl up the stairs, all the while hoping with every fiber of my being that he wouldn't change his mind.

I shut Mike's door and crumpled on the floor. I didn't want to move or even breathe, everything hurt so much.

"_Zere zere, Mike. You are okay now,"_ I heard Svetlana comforting him inside his head. I decided to stay in control for a while longer, until the pain lessened.

"One of you take the next one, I can't take another one after this, not for a while."

"_Fine, I'll do it,"_ said Vito.

It's not like I could blame them for being hesitant or outright refusing to take the pain, because who would want to suffer so much for someone else? Especially when it's someone you're not overly fond of. But at least one of them was finally volunteering, and I could get some relief.


	4. No Escape

Vito and Svetlana were taking turns having control one day on the mountain near Mike's house. We had been here several times before, and I did love it up here. Manitoba brought us up here whenever we needed to just run away and get away from everything and everyone for a while. Vito would do sit-ups and pushups, and Svetlana was trying out some Chinese acrobatics she had seen on TV. Both built muscle tone, so they didn't mind taking turns. Mike was eight now, which meant I was six. I still didn't like the others, but I tolerated them better now.

"_Guys, let Jake have a turn!"_ said Mike. _"He never gets to have any fun."_

"_I don't need to come out, Mike. I don't want to take control from you."_

"_I don't mind, you should get a turn, just like everyone else. Svetlana, Vito, let Jake come out."_

"Later!" said Svetlana. "It has been eternity since Svetlana got to stretch her muscles. Zis body vill not be keeping itself in shape."

"_I'm sorry Jake, I promise you'll get a turn later,"_ said Mike.

I doubted it. When the others wanted something, they took it, and Mike was a pushover. He would do anything to keep the peace between us.

Since I had nothing better to do, I secretly took one of Mike's memories. You would expect him to notice, but he never did. I started doing this a year and a half ago, taking memories of the abuse so he wouldn't hurt so much. I made sure not to take any memories that would leave him confused, but he didn't need all those memories of Daddy hitting him or being locked in the dark. And it did seem to help, he didn't seem as sad now. It was harder on me, but it was worth it.

"_Quit getting so close to the edge!"_ said Chester. _"You trying to kill us?"_

"Svetlana never falls, she alvays lands on her feet."

Vito made the mistake of taking back control as she was doing a flip over a boulder. He slipped and landed on his face.

"_Vito, on ze other hand, is not so graceful. If ve fall off cliff, it vill be because he is a clumsy ox."_

"Ayo! I'll get you for that, Twinkletoes."

He was sore from the fall, so he decided to end his workout early and tan, instead. It didn't last long though, because Manitoba got restless and took back control. He dug through the dirt with his hands and exclaimed over just about everything he found. It seemed no discovery was too small or insignificant to him.

"Look at this!" he said excitedly. "And you dingoes said there was no treasure around here."

"_That's a bottlecap, genius,"_ said Chester.

"One man's trash…" said Manitoba as he tucked it in his pocket.

Manitoba took us back off the mountain at Mike's insistence. By the time we got back down, it was after dark.

Mike took back control and said, "It's been forever since Jake's gotten to do anything he wants to do, so it's his turn now. No one take control from him."

None of them agreed, but they didn't protest either, which was something.

"Thanks, Mike," I said as I took control. Without even thinking about it, I knew exactly where I wanted to go.

"_The playground?"_ Vito scoffed. _"That's the best you can think of?"_

"It's my favorite place in the whole world," I replied.

Since it was after dark, I got the whole place to myself. I remembered the before times when Mike used to bring me here, and we would play for hours. He would push me on the swing, and we'd chase each other in tag and play hide and seek. My favorite was when we would play catch. Mike taught me to throw and catch a ball, and never got mad or impatient with me when I did it wrong. Even the jerks couldn't ruin this place for us. I didn't have many happy memories, but most of the ones I did have took place here.

I went down the slide and swung on the swing. This was the first time in two years that I had gotten the chance to play. It was the first time I had come out for something other than a punishment. It was glorious, but something was missing, and I knew exactly what it was.

"I wish we could play together, Mike. Like we used to, before I… before I… died."

"_I do too, I miss it. But you're here, and that's what matters."_

I found a rubber ball on the grass. Since I had no one to play catch with, I threw the ball against the wall and caught it in my hands. I pretended Mike was catching it and throwing it back to me.

"Mike! There you are!"

I dropped the ball when I heard that voice, and my blood ran cold. I quickly let Mike take back the wheel before Mom reached us. Playtime was over.

"Where have you been all day?" she asked. "Were you running away?"

"No! No, I was just playing outside," said Mike.

"You really expect me to believe that? All you ever do is lie to me. Well, get home, your father wants to see you."

"He's home? But he was just here a few days ago, he never comes this often."

"Don't ask questions, just be grateful. Now get going!"

Mike was going to go with her, but Manitoba took control and took off running in the opposite direction.

"There's no way we're going back to that crocodile. We're getting out of here."

"_Where will we go?"_ asked Mike.

"Anywhere but here!"

Manitoba ran through the streets, directionless but with determination. The streets were mostly empty, and the only light tonight came from streetlamps.

I was very excited, we were finally escaping! I was in agreement with Manitoba, anywhere in the world would be better than this place. I couldn't wait to see where we would end up, it was so exciting. And Mommy and Daddy could never come anywhere near us ever again.

But it was never meant to be. Manitoba was running on a sidewalk, but a car drove up on the sidewalk after him. He had just enough time to exclaim, "Crikey!" but he couldn't get out of the way in time and it ran him over. The car pulled back into the road and parked, and out came Daddy.

Manitoba was knocked onto the hood of the car, but he didn't go through the windshield. If he had, we probably wouldn't have survived. He rolled off the hood and fell on the pavement, bleeding and taking shallow, gasping breaths. He was in too much shock and pain to move or speak, but at least we were still alive. He picked up Manitoba's limp form and put him in the back seat of the car. He was starting to lose consciousness, but I could still make out what was going on around us. I heard a car drive up, and I heard voices outside.

"Hey, Victor! What are you doing out here this time of night? Is that Brian in the back seat?"

"Hello, Paul. Yeah, I was taking out Brian for a little father-son time, but he wore himself out. A car could hit us and he wouldn't wake up."

The man laughed and said, "Brian and Tina are lucky to have such a good dad, there aren't many good ones out there."

"I do my best. I have to take advantage of these years because they'll be gone in the blink of an eye."

"You can say that again. Melissa just got a job with us down at the station, following in her old man's footsteps. I assume Brian will take over the family business someday?"

"I certainly hope so. Tina could too, they're both sharp."

"And I just wanted to thank you again for helping me patch up my roof. No more leaks in my house."

"Oh, it was my pleasure, anything for a neighbor."

"Are you and your family still coming over for dinner on Sunday? The missus is making her world famous meatloaf."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. I should probably let you get back to work, I'm sure you're busy."

"Yeah, I've got work to do. Someone sent in another report about Eleanor Stiletto and that boy of hers yesterday, they think she might be mistreating him."

"Is she?"

"I've checked it out more than once, and nothing seems to be amiss. I mean, Eleanor's off her rocker, but that's nothing new. The boy seems kinda off, but what more can you expect from a genepool like that? I've always wondered who the father is, but I guess we'll never know. But as um… unstable as she is, she seems to do an okay job of raising her children. No need for us to step in."

"It really is an unfortunate situation, I feel sorry for both of them. Do you know whatever happened to her other boy, the one with curly hair? No one has seen him in a while."

"She told us she sent him to stay with a relative, which I believe is for the best. It is unfortunate, having people like that in the community, but what can you do?"

"_What can you do? You can check and see if it's really Brian in the backseat,"_ I said, enraged. _"Here's a novel idea, why don't you do your job for once and do an actual investigation? We might be dying back here, and would you or anyone else even care? It's nice to know we have police officers not protecting us."_

"What indeed. Well, I'll let you get back to it. I need to drop off Brian by the house and get him to bed, and then I have to get back to my office to get some work done. This case I'm working on is murder."

"Don't work too hard, Victor. I'll see you Sunday."

"Have a good one."

Daddy got back in the car, and as he shut the door Manitoba lost consciousness.

When we woke up, Mike was back in control and he was in his own bed.

"What you did wasn't smart, Michael."

He turned his head and saw Daddy sitting by the bed, ripping up his drawings and shredding them into pieces. Mike wanted to shout at him to stop, but movement of any kind was painful. And shouting at him to stop would only earn him more pain.

"You could have been killed. You're lucky nothing was broken in the accident."

That was no accident, but Mike knew better than to argue.

"You won't have to go to a hospital, you're just going to be very sore for a while. But what I want to know is, why did you try to run away?"

"I wasn't trying to run away," said Mike weakly.

"Michael, we both know that's a dirty lie. Now I'm going to ask again, and you are going to tell me the truth. Why did you run away?"

Mike hesitated, and then said, "Manitoba wanted to run away, he wanted to go off on his own. That's why."

"Ah yes, Manitoba. I should have known. But doesn't Manitoba know that he can't ever leave?"

"Maybe he could someday, when I grow up."

"No, not even then. You see Michael, this is your home, and you won't ever leave it. The rest of the world doesn't want you, this is the only place you belong. I had to bring you back tonight because I know that if you go out there, the world will eat you alive. Your mother and I are all you have, and we don't appreciate it when you try to leave. You're going to stay here for the rest of your life, and if you try to escape again, I'll do worse to you than hit you with my car, understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now, how's Jacob doing today?" he asked. "Doing well, I hope."

"He's fine," Mike mumbled.

"That's good to hear, I was worried."

Daddy had stopped telling Mike I wasn't real, which should have been a good thing, but it only made things worse. He always asked about me patronizingly, mocking Mike for believing in me. Mike hadn't been talking to me as much since it started.

"Has Jacob talked to you today? What words of wisdom does he have to offer us?"

"Nothing, he doesn't have anything to say."

"I don't believe it. Jacob was a chatterbox, he always had something to say."

"N-Not today."

Daddy leaned in closer and knocked on Mike's head. "Hello, Jacob? You in there, son? It's Daddy, come say hello!"

I felt a seething rage in my gut and I couldn't contain it. I took back control from Mike and said, "Here I am! It's me, Jake! Are you happy now?"

Daddy howled with laughter like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. My hands curled up into fists under the blanket. "You really think you're Jacob! You're so off the deep end, so in denial about his death that you've convinced yourself that you are him!"

"Mike is not crazy! I came back, I'm not dead! It really is me!"

That just made him laugh harder. He had tears in his eyes he was laughing so hard. "I guess you forgot what your mother did to you, then? Like she did to baby Elizabeth?"

I froze. I knew that I had drowned, and I remembered when Lizzie died. Was Mommy behind both our deaths? It made sense, but I was so shocked I couldn't speak.

"That's right, mommy killed her babies. It's only a matter of time before she comes after you, Michael. She'd really be doing you a favor, put you out of your misery. She's used drowning and poison, I wonder what she'll do to you? Maybe she'll use fire, but who knows."

I didn't say anything. He would never believe that it was really me and not Mike. There was no point in trying to convince him, and I couldn't stand to hear him laugh anymore.

He left the room, nearly doubled over in laughter. Taking control was a mistake, this pain was worse than any I'd been put through before. I didn't mind it though, the pain was better proof than anything that I was real, that I was still here. It felt good, really.

"_Manitoba, don't do that again,"_ said Mike.

"_Someone's gotta do something, mate,"_ he responded weakly. _"We can't keep going on like this."_

"_Fighting it just makes it worse."_

I didn't give control back to Mike right away. After our parents went to bed, I snuck out of bed and crept down the stairs. I had to move slowly, everything hurt so much. The pain was so intense and debilitating, but I was determined and I made it through sheer will. I made sure the others couldn't see what I was doing, and then I went to the kitchen. I took one of the long knives and went back up the stairs to my parent's room. By the time I got there, I was breathless from the strain on my battered body. I had to take a moment to catch my breath so I wouldn't wake them up.

The door was cracked open, and I slipped inside. Mommy and Daddy were both sound asleep; I had never seen them so vulnerable. I crept over to where Mommy was sleeping. I held the knife up to her neck, but didn't touch her in case it woke her up. I wondered what it would be like to cause someone else pain, instead of being the one taking it. This woman had murdered me, it would only be right to return the favor. I eyed my father lying on the other side of the bed, and imagined his crimson blood soaking the sheets. I imagined their eyes staring up at the ceiling, blank and unseeing.

But I couldn't do it. Even after everything they had done to me, Lizzie, and to Mike, they were still my parents. I felt like a coward, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

I tried to stop him, but at that precise moment, Mike took back control. He was confused at first, but then he saw the knife at his mother's throat and almost screamed, but he covered his mouth with his hands to stop himself. He dropped the knife and ran out of there as fast as he could.

"What's going on?" he asked once he was back inside our room. He curled up in a ball by the door. "Was I about to kill my own mother? What's happening to me?"

I should have spoken up and told him I was the one who had the knife, but if I did, he wouldn't trust me anymore. I couldn't lose his trust, his friendship was all I had. So I stayed quiet, feeling angry at myself for letting this happen. Mike was scared by what he had been about to do, but at some point he managed to get to sleep. I stayed awake, thinking about how it had felt to hold that knife. It felt horrifying, but exhilarating too. That's what made it horrifying.


	5. Truth

After that night, Mike didn't talk to me for a week. He still spoke to the others, but he wouldn't talk to me unless I asked a question, and his answers were brief. I wondered if I had done something wrong. Maybe he knew that I was the one who had taken the knife, but surely he would have said something if he did. I didn't know what to think.

After a week passed, one morning Mike awoke to the smell of something baking. He got out of bed to see what it was.

Mommy took a cake out of the oven and set it on the stovetop to cool as we walked in. She smiled at us and said, "Happy birthday, Jakey!"

Mike stopped short. Mommy was more likely than not to forget our birthdays, or celebrate them on the wrong day. This wasn't my birthday, but I was so happy that she was honoring it that I didn't care she'd gotten the date wrong. She must finally have accepted that I was back, like Mike had. But then Mike ruined it.

"Mom, Jake's dead, remember?"

She was unfazed. "Nonsense, today's his birthday, he's four today! He's practically a man. We'll throw him a big party, with cake and presents."

"No Mom, he's not here. He's gone."

"_Mike, what are you doing?"_ I asked. _"Of course I'm here! I never left!"_

"Michael Wise, I have had enough of your lies. Now go wake up your brother, and bring your sister in, too. Oh, she'll probably need her diaper changed."

"They're both dead! How can you not remember that? They died, it's just me now! I'm the only one left!"

"_Mike, stop it! Why are you doing this?"_

"I'm only going to say this one more time, young man. Go wake up your brother and sister."

Mike ran out the door, and she chased him. She grabbed him and knocked him to the ground.

"Don't run away, Jakey! Not on your birthday!"

I was about to speak, but Mike beat me to it. "Jake is dead!" he shouted.

She finally froze, and seemed to listen to him. I wanted to scream.

Mike turned his head towards the little plastic swimming pool. "That's his grave. He's buried under the pool. He's gone, and he's never coming back. Same with Lizzie, they're both gone. It's just me, Mike. No one else."

Mommy looked shocked, and then morose. "I'm sorry Mike, I don't know what came over me. Let's go back inside."

She dumped the cake into the trashcan and went back to bed. It was the sanest I had ever seen her, really.

"_Mike, why did you say those terrible things?"_ I asked. It was the first time I had ever felt angry towards him. _"Why would you lie to her like that? She finally believed in me and you ruined it! Why?"_

"It wasn't a lie. My dad's right, Jake is dead. It was stupid of me to pretend he was still alive. I have to stop pretending."

"_Mike, how could you even think that? I'm not dead, I'm alive! I came back as your guardian angel, remember?"_

"You're not him."

"_Yes I am! I have all Jake's memories, I know everything about him! How could I have his memories and not be Jake?"_

"I don't know, but you're not him."

"_Stop saying that! I know who I am."_

"Jake died three years ago, he's gone, and nothing can bring him back."

Mike said all this emotionlessly. It was the only way he could keep from crying.

"_Why are you doing this to me?" _I asked as I started to cry. _"I'm your brother."_

"Because I don't want to be like Mom." He couldn't hold back the tears now. "She's crazy, and if I keep playing pretend, I will be too, just like Dad says. I think there's something wrong with me, why did I have that knife? Was I really about to kill my parents? I don't know how I got in there or why I had it, but it scares me. There must be something wrong with my brain."

"_You're not crazy, the knife thing wasn't your fault. You weren't going to kill anyone."_

"How do you know?"

"_I just do."_

"I don't want to be crazy, I want to be normal, or no one will ever like me. They might lock me away in the madhouse for the rest of my life, that's what Dad says happens to crazy people. I have to do something, I have to stop this before it's too late. I don't want it to be this way, I love you, I really do. But you're not my brother."

"_If I'm not Jake, then who am I, Mike? If I'm not your brother, then what am I?"_

"You're just an imaginary friend, you're not real, none of you are real," said Mike through tears. "I was so sad about Jake that I made an imaginary friend to replace him, I wanted friends so I made the others up, too. Only crazy people talk to people who aren't real, I have to give you guys up, like Brian did. No more imaginary friends, I have to face the real world. The game is over, I have to move on."

I screamed loud and long inside his head. Mike covered his ears, but that did nothing to block the sound. It was a broken wail, and as terrible as the sound was, in couldn't match the way I felt.

Svetlana came and wrapped me in a hug, like she would do to comfort Mike. I allowed myself to be comforted for just a moment. _"It is okay Jake, do not be feeling sad."_

"_Did you know?" _I asked as more tears streaked down my face._ "Did you know I wasn't the real Jake?"_

They all looked guilty, which answered my question louder than if they had spoken.

"_You did know! Why didn't you tell me?"_

"_We felt sorry for ya, kid!" said Chester._

"_Ve didn't vant to see you hurt," _said Svetlana._ "Ve realized zat zere was no vay you could be Mike's brother because he vas dead. Ve knew you vere actually one of us, you and Mike just couldn't see it until now. You vere too young, our minds our older zan yours."_

"_It wouldn't have done ya any good, wallaby, so we didn't see a reason to tell you."_

"_You vere so happy being his brother, and it made him happy, too. Ve did not vant to ruin vat you had."_

"_I wish you had, because what was the point of any of it if it wasn't real?"_

"_So what if you're not Jake? You're still you,"_ said Manitoba.

"_That's just it!"_ I screamed at them as I pushed Svetlana away. _"If I'm not Jake, then who am I? What am I?"_

"_You just need a new identity, like Vince or something," _said Vito. _"You gotta make a whole new you."_

"_You say that like changing who you are is as easy as changing your shirt! How can you all be so calm about all this, about living in Mike's mind? None of you actually did what you think you did. Svetlana, you've never won a single gold medal. Manitoba, you've never been on a real expedition or found buried treasure. Vito, you never worked with your uncle Vinnie fixing old cars, Mike doesn't even have an uncle! And Chester, you did not live in the old days. Doesn't that bother you?"_

"_Not really,"_ said Vito.

"_Maybe I haven't found treasure yet mate, but that doesn't mean I won't someday."_

"_One day I vill compete in ze Olympics and vin ze gold medal!"_

"_I didn't have to live the old days to know they were better than these days!"_

"_Mike thinks we aren't real, but we must be, right?"_

"_Of course ve are real, Mike just doesn't understand zat yet. He vill, ven he is older and ready to accept it."_

"_Don't you ever wonder what we are, or how we came to be here? No one else has extra people inside their heads."_

"_Well, of course we're curious, mate. Who wouldn't be? But we don't worry about it too much. We don't care what we are, we only care who we are. We just want to live our lives, same as anyone else."_

"_But you're all trapped in this body, six people in one. And that's not even counting the monster things. Doesn't it bother you that we have to share one body?"_

"_It does make zings more difficult, but Svetlana doesn't mind too much. She vill still be ze champion."  
><em>

"_I'll just have to drag you kookaburras along with me when I go on my adventures."_

"_And ve are like family, it is alvays good to have family."_

"_Might as well make the best of a not so hot situation," _shrugged Vito.

"_I can't believe all of you. Of course, why shouldn't you be perfectly happy? Mike isn't making you rewrite who you are. You're all exactly who you think you are, but not me. I'm nothing."_

"_You are not nothing, Jake. Do not ever be zinking zat. If zere is anything ve can do to be helping you, come to us."_

I shook my head and walked away.

"_Poor bugger,"_ I heard Manitoba say. _"Hope he's okay."_

"_I cannot imagine vat it is like to be having everything you believed in to be a lie,"_ said Svetlana. _"He is so sweet and kind, and he alvays helps Mike, now ve must be helping him in any vay ve can."_

I walked deep into Mike's mind, farther than I had ever gone before. I could hear the wails of the beasts in his mind, but they no longer frightened me. I wrapped my arms around my middle, as though if I held onto myself tightly enough it would stop my world from shattering around me. But it was already shattered, and the sharp edges of the pieces sliced through my skin, down to my soul. If I even had a soul. Who could say?

There were too many pieces, how could I ever hope to put them together again? And if I could, what would the end result look like? It would look nothing like it did before. It would be like looking at yourself in the mirror and then breaking it. You put the pieces back together, and this cracked mirror shows you a whole new reflection. An entirely different person looks back at you, they have your eyes, but you don't recognize the face.

I continued crying as I walked. I don't know how long I walked, time was different in here. I walked until I couldn't walk anymore, and then I laid down on the ground.

Images flashed through my mind of their own accord. I saw myself playing catch with Mike at the playground. I heard my laughter mix with his as we threw the ball back and forth. I accidentally threw it too high and Mike had to run for it. He taught me to keep my eye on the ball and other tricks to help me improve my aim. He never threw it too high or too low so I could catch it. That was my happiest memory. But that wasn't me.

I remembered the day a stray dog wandered into the playground, a huge dog, bigger than both of us. We were scared at first, but the dog was friendly and licked our faces. It even knew how to play fetch. We played with it for hours, it was our first and only pet. After that day, we never saw the dog again, but we decided that it had been adopted by a rich person and was living in a mansion in paradise, and that made us happy. But that wasn't me.

I remembered the first time the bullies at the playground had targeted me and pushed me off the slide. Mike stood up to them and wouldn't let them hurt me. He never stood up to them for his own sake, only for mine. He was no match for them, but he never let that stop him. Even with a black eye and bloody nose, he would never back down. He always put my safety before his own because he was my big brother and that was his job. But that wasn't me.

I remembered playing in the snow with Mike. He showed me how to build a snowman, and we made a snowfort. It was so cold that my little jacket couldn't keep me warm enough, so Mike let me use his. But that wasn't me.

I remembered the first time I ever saw Lizzie, and how cute she was. She almost never cried, she was always so quiet. I wasn't allowed to pick her up, but I was allowed to hold her on the couch. Seeing her gave me hope when I needed it most, and I cried so hard when she died. But that wasn't me.

I remembered when Mike would let me ride on his back, or let me climb on his shoulders to reach something up high. He never said no when I asked, not even when he was tired or sore from Daddy's beatings. We would play pretend games together, and Mike always made up the best characters. He could change his voice to play each character, and he could always cheer me up, no matter how bad I felt. But that wasn't me.

The person I saw in those memories wasn't me, but I felt so real, those memories belonged to me. I felt like Jake, no one else. I was the little brother, and I looked up to my big brother. How could something that felt so real be fake? How could my entire life be a lie? Because it wasn't my life at all, it never was, I stole it from someone else. These memories were false, I had done none of those things. They belonged to Jake, how had they come to me?

I suddenly remembered how the others came to be. Mike imagined them, he drew them on paper and they somehow came to life. All except Chester, who was based on his grandfather. I had always believed I was different, but really, we were all the same. He made Chester because he missed his grandpa, was I here just because he missed his dead brother? Was that the entire reason for my existence? That meant I was just a copy of someone else, not a real person at all.

If I wasn't Mike's little brother, then what was I? What were any of us? How did we come to be here inside Mike's head? What was the point of our existence? So many questions and no answers.

I felt utter devastation. Everything I had held true faded into dust, it was like trying to catch wisps of smoke in my hands. I should never have existed, but here I was. I could hardly breathe, I felt hollow, like everything inside me had been torn out, leaving an ugly, gaping wound. I wanted to scream, I wanted to tear myself apart so I couldn't feel any of this. I just wanted to forget everything, or to fade from existence entirely. I wanted to be dead, just like the real Jake.

If imaginary friends exist to help children, take their pain, and make them happy, what happens to them when their children don't need them anymore? Do they move on and find peace somewhere else, content in knowing their work is complete? Or do they stick around, lost, unloved and unattached, doomed to linger as a ghost to haunt the child they once guarded for eternity?

I was overcome by despair and anguish unlike anything I had ever experienced before. But then I realized I didn't want to die, at least, not yet. My despair and anguish turned into white hot anger, and that anger burned so hot that it made me feel like I wasn't broken, it made me feel whole again. They were trying to take everything from me, but I would take it back. Mike had rejected me, so I would no longer take his pain for him. Never again would I serve as his human shield, he would be made to suffer for what he had done to me. I would make the world suffer for forcing me to exist when I never should have.

I don't remember making the decision to stand. I could think of only one thing. I knew I had power in this brain, and for the first time, I used it.

I channeled my rage into raw power. I closed my eyes and concentrated as hard as I could for a long time, and when I opened them, there stood before me the tallest tower that I had ever seen. I'm not sure exactly how I did it, but there it was. It was dark and intimidating, and I loved it.

I could hear the wailing and screeching of the monsters lurking at the edges of the mind, and I went through and choked over half of them to death, and they faded from existence. It wasn't hard, they were already half-dead anyway. They struggled and made sounds like animals, but they all died quickly. I let some survive, so they could continue haunting Mike's nightmares. But now there was more room inside, more room to rule.

I went back to the others. They were playing a game of Twister, with Chester spinning the wheel. Svetlana was winning, of course. She was in the most awkward and painful pose possible, but she held it with ease.

"_Hey look, Jake's back!"_ said Manitoba while stretched in a very uncomfortable position right over Vito, who was also in a bad position. He lost his balance and fell on him.

"_Ow! Ah come on! I was just about to beat Twinkletoes!"_

"_There was no way you were gonna beat Svet, she always wins at this game. We're only playing it because it's her turn to pick. When it's my turn, I'm turning the floor into lava and we'll see who's left standing! Jake, you want to join us, mate?"_

Instead of answering, I concentrated and created chains that tied them all to the ground.

"_What in the world? What are you doing, ya dang whippersnapper?"_

"_I'm sorry it has to be this way, but this mind belongs to me now."_

I dragged them down to my tower, and though they struggled and tried to resist, they couldn't get away. I brought them to the top of my tower and chained their wrists and ankles to the floor before my golden throne.

"_Jake, why are you doing zis?"_ asked Svetlana.

"_That's not my name anymore. It never was my name."_

I left the tower and seized control from Mike. I dragged him down here with the rest of us.

"_Jake, what's going on?"_

Instead of answering, I put a chain around his neck and started leading him like a dog. Mike tried to pull away, but I was stronger.

"_Jake, why are you doing this? Let me go!"_

"_I never wanted it to be this way, Mike. But now I have no choice, this is the only path left for me to take. All I wanted was to be your brother, but now that you've taken that from me, I'm nothing. You should have left well enough alone, but now things can never be the way they were. You said you needed to move on, well so am I."_

"_We can still be friends, Jake. I guess I don't have to give you guys up just yet. You just can't be my brother anymore. No one can replace him, not even you."_

"_You don't understand. You'll never understand."_

I took him to the tower and locked him in, too.

"_He got you guys, too?"_ he said to the others.

"_Jake went crazy and locked us up in here! He's got all the control now,"_ said Vito.

"_He is a tyrant!"_ said Svetlana.

"_No! Jake's not like that! _Mike protested.

"_He's not Jake, remember?"_ said Manitoba. _"Now that he's been stripped of that, there's no tellin' what he'll do."_

"_Did I… Did I cause this?"_ asked Mike.

"_It vas not your fault, Mike,"_ said Svetlana. _"But I zink you should have let him go on zinking he vas Jake. Zis vould not have happened if he vas still under ze illusion zat he is your brother."_

"_I had to face the truth, I couldn't keep living that lie. But this is Jake we're talking about, he's nice and he helps me. He cares about me, about all of us, he'll come back soon and let us go, I'm sure of it."_

It had been hours since the birthday incident. Or, it could have been days, I wasn't sure. It was dark outside, and there were fresh bruises on Mike's arms and chest, meaning Daddy was home. For once, it made me smile.

I found a long stick outside and set it on fire, like a torch. I brought it back inside and went up the stairs. But I stopped in the middle, and my eyes landed on one of the few pictures in the house.

It was a picture of me, Mike, and Lizzie. I was sitting in a chair holding Lizzie, and Mike stood behind us with his hand on my shoulder. None of us were smiling. We didn't own any fancy clothes, but we were wearing the nicest clothes we had. I couldn't help but stare at my face. My skin and hair was lighter than Mike's, and I had Mommy's curls. I looked more like Mommy, he looked more like Daddy. It was too soon to tell who Lizzie looked more like, she died before she was even a year old. This is what I would look like if I had my own body. This was my face, the face I hadn't seen in the mirror in so long. Seeing the three of us together in the photo filled me with longing.

But I had to remind myself that I wasn't in this picture. That was the real Jake, before he died. I was envious of him and Lizzie, because they got out and escaped the madness. Their deaths were tragic, but at least they were free.

I went up the rest of the steps and I walked into Mom's room. Sure enough, Daddy was there, they were both sound asleep, just like they had been the last time I came in.

I went over to the window and set the curtains on fire. I did the same to the bed sheets. This house didn't have a smoke alarm, so they had no warning that they were about to be consumed by flames.

I ran back down the stairs and set fire to everything else that was flammable. I dropped the torch on the floor and ran outside to watch. I grinned as I watched the flames shoot out of the windows. It spread very quickly, but I hoped they wouldn't wake up and escape the blaze. I should have done this years ago, and I wasn't finished yet, far from it. I might not be Jake anymore, but as I watched the house burn, along with my past self, I knew that my new self was going to be much better than who I used to be. It filled me with excitement, I was going to choose who I became, and no one would ever have power over me again. This was a good thing, now I could be whatever I wanted to be, my chains were gone. I let Mike see so he would know he was free. Well, free of his parents and this wretched house, anyway.

"_Jake, how could you do this? That was my house, those were my parents! You killed them! How could you?!"_

"Don't pretend you're not relieved to see the place go up in flames. I did what needed to be done. Besides, even you have to admit they deserved it."

"_No one deserves to get burned alive like that. They probably suffered."_

"You mean like how we suffered? I just gave them a little sample of hell, now they get to experience the real deal. Don't pity them, Mike, they don't deserve your pity. Save your pity for someone who deserves it. You should be grateful, you never have to live in fear ever again."

"_I wouldn't be so sure,"_ he said as he rattled his chains.

Firetrucks pulled up soon and I went to hide as they fought the fire. It was too late for the house, they couldn't stop the fire from destroying it. They were only able to put out the flames after the house had collapsed.

People from the neighborhood formed a crowd around the house to see what had happened and to find out if there were any survivors. I watched with glee as they carried out two charred bodies. Satisfied, I left my hiding place and worked my way out of the crowd.

"Hey!" someone said as I passed. "Aren't you the kid who used to live in that house?"

"Nope, you must have me confused with someone else."


	6. Blaze

I decided that the best thing for me to do was to leave town. I didn't plan to go far, but I didn't need the neighbors recognizing me. After I left the house burning to the ground, I walked into town and saw a parked pick-up truck. I climbed in the back and laid down flat on my back. The owner drove off without checking the back, and so I got a free ride out of the hellhole I'd once called home.

After a couple hours or so I got up and leapt out of the car while it was still going. It hurt, but in a good way. I was far enough away from home that the chances of getting caught were greatly reduced. I made my new home under someone's porch, and I stayed there for several days. I wasn't all that worried about food or water, all I cared about was creating as much chaos as possible.

One night, as I was lying on the ground but not sleeping, I heard a noise. I opened my eyes and saw a girl crawling under the porch.

"This spot's taken," I said, and she gasped.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," she said in a whisper. I noticed her accent was English, what was she doing here in Canada? "I've been looking for somewhere to sleep, I'll find somewhere else."

"Wait a minute," I said. I had been prepared to tell her to get lost, but something made me change my mind. "You can stay in here, just for tonight. It's freezing out there, it's slightly less freezing under here."

"Thank you." She came under the porch and sat down on the ground. "I'm Violet Rainey, what's your name?"

"I'm Ja-" I stopped myself. What was I supposed to call myself? I wasn't Jake, and I wasn't Mike. "I don't have a name."

"How can you not have a name?"

"I just don't."

"Okay then." She let the matter drop and went to sleep while I pondered what my new name should be.

* * *

><p>The next morning, I woke up before Violet. Actually, I hadn't slept at all. It seemed I was incapable of sleep. The sun was rising, and in its light I could now see her face. She had white blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, and she had a lovely face, even with all the dirt smeared on it. She looked to be about my age, maybe a little younger.<p>

I snuck out of my hiding place and went to a nearby restaurant and went through the trash cans. I found some stale bread and brought it back to the porch. I ducked down as the man who lived in this house left for work.

I took a few bites of bread, but I ate no more than that. I waited patiently for Violet to wake up. When she finally did half an hour later, I tossed her the remaining bread.

"I got breakfast," I told her.

"Thanks," she said as she ate the bread ravenously, as though it was the tastiest thing she had ever eaten.

"I take it you're homeless," I said to her after she had completely devoured the bread.

"I am." I looked into her eyes and saw that they were like emeralds. I also saw innocence there, but with a hint of anger. "My parents died a year ago in England and so I had to move here to live with my aunt and uncle. They're absolutely dreadful, so I ran away."

"My parents are dead to, that's why I'm here. Maybe we can help each other."

"I don't even know you. We just met."

"You don't have many options, unless you'd like to go back to your aunt and uncle."

"All right, you made your point. We'll be partners, but only for a little while."

"Just for a little while." I held out my hand, and she shook it.

We didn't talk to each other for the rest of the day. We left the porch and went our separate ways for a while. I don't know where she went, but I went to the playground. I sat down in a swing and just sat there for hours, thinking. I wasn't thinking about anything specific, just letting my mind wander. I could hear the others inside my head, begging to be let out. They were easily ignored.

I watched as the other children played. Some played catch, some played tag, some went down the slide, some climbed the monkey bars. I wondered how many of them had other people living inside their head. I wondered how many people in the world had more than one person in their brain. Perhaps none of them did, perhaps Mike was just a freak of nature. I would probably never know.

So this is what it's like to have a body all your own. It was the closest I would ever get to being on my own, anyway. None of the others could take over and make me do anything I didn't want to do. I got to make all the decisions, I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I had never before known such freedom.

I stayed until the sun went down, and then I went back to the porch. I knew we couldn't stay here much longer, we were bound to be caught soon. I went under the porch and found Violet already there. She held a sandwich in her hands.

"Where'd you get that?" I asked.

"I stole it from a boy at a school playground, I snuck it out of his lunchbox when a teacher called him. He looked like he could stand to skip a few meals."

She tore the sandwich in half and gave me a piece.

"Thanks," I said.

"Just paying you back for breakfast."

The sandwich was peanut butter and jelly, and it wasn't half bad. We finished the sandwich and then I said, "We need to leave tonight."

"I only just got here, what's the rush?"

"I've been here for a few days already, someone's bound to notice two kids hiding under their porch."

"Where will we go?"

"I'll find a place somewhere, but there's something I need to do first, and you're going to help me."

"What are you doing?"

"I need you to sneak into the house and turn the stove on. I checked out the house the day I came here, it's a gas stove. Turn it on, but don't light it."

"Are you saying you're going to blow the house up? What has this man done to us? Are you crazy?"

"Think of all the injustice done to you, Violet. You've not even lived a decade yet, and you've lost your parents and been made to stay with your wretched aunt and uncle. Worse yet, now you're on the run with a strange boy, with no guarantee of shelter or your next meal. You don't deserve all this, don't you want some revenge? Sure, this man didn't cause any of what happened to you, but don't you want others to know your pain? It's not fair that only you should suffer."

Violet was very hesitant, she took a long time to think, but I was patient. I didn't speak a word to her as she pondered it.

"The man who lives here, is he at home?"

"Look, his car isn't here, he's not home yet. If you do it now, he won't get hurt."

Finally, she said, "I'll do it."

She snuck in through a window, quieter than a mouse. I watched her turn on the stove, and we gave it several minutes for the gas to disperse. When I was sure there was enough, I took out a box of matches I'd taken from the house on my first day.

"Here, you do it," I said as I handed her the matches.

"No, I can't."

"Yes, you can. It'll be easy, and no one will get hurt. It's just a prank, you can do it."

She bit her lip and took the matches. She struck one and threw it into the house. We made a run for it as fire erupted throughout the house, out the windows. We were a bit singed, but none the worse for wear. Just like the first time, we watched it burn to the ground from a safe distance.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" I asked.

She laughed and said, "It really was! Let's do another!"

"Easy tiger, we have to pace ourselves," I said with a laugh. "If we do every house in one night there won't be any left for tomorrow night. Come on, we can sleep in the tunnels on the playground."

For many nights we stayed in those tunnels, and every night we burned a house down together, but Violet would only go along with it if the house was unoccupied. It was worth the compromise, it was the most fun I've ever had. Until then, my only connection had been with Mike, being his brother. But I came to think of Violet as the friend I never wanted. I could see the hidden rage behind her eyes, I could see the untapped potential. Just like in that man's house, where the gas could do nothing on its own and needed flame, I was the spark that set her off.

But I knew our partnership couldn't last forever. Even if it could have lasted, I wouldn't have wanted it to. I enjoyed Violet's company, but I didn't want to have her around forever. I was growing bored with her, I needed to be on my own again.

One day, we found a house that was empty. After a brief inspection, we discovered that the occupants were on vacation and would not be back for three weeks. Rather than torch it, we decided to take advantage of their hospitality, and then torch it.

"I've never been in such a big house!" I exclaimed as we went inside.

"Neither have I, it's practically a mansion!" said Violet.

It was hardly a mansion, but the owners were very well off, that was obvious. We ran through the house, looking at all the different rooms. I chose a room with a huge bed as mine to stay in. The whole house was nice and fancy, everything neat and tidy as though they were expecting the queen to arrive any minute.

The first thing I did was take a shower. I turned the heat on the water up until it was nearly scalding, and it was marvelous. It's too bad I had no clean clothes to put on afterwards, but I wasn't bothered.

Dripping wet, I went back downstairs and found Violet searching through the kitchen for food. She found a jar and pulled out a pack of candy and tossed it to me.

"Here's dinner," she said as she took out one for herself. It was a bag of peanut butter cups, I'd seen kids at school with them, but I'd never gotten to try them myself. I opened the bag and put one in my mouth. It was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted.

"This is so good," I said as I took the bag to the couch. "I could live on these."

"It's been so long since I've had anything sweet, it's like heaven," said Violet. She took the TV remote and turned on the television. She flipped through channels and finally settled on an animated movie about monsters. I was immediately enraptured, I had never seen anything animated before. I found myself laughing and really getting into it.

"Aren't you a little old to be enjoying the movie this much? It's just Monster's Inc."

"But it's so ridiculous! There are no such things as monsters, and if there were, they wouldn't be doing things like this."

"Anything is possible in cartoons and animation, don't you know that?"

"My mother and grandfather didn't allow cartoons back home, they thought it would rot my brain. Ironic, given that their brains were already rotten. I always had to watch news stations or other adult programs, this is the first time I've ever gotten to watch a cartoon, or anything meant for kids. I love it." This was one of the few truths I spoke.

"Well, now we can do anything we want. No more rules."

"No more rules. I could get used to that."

After the movie ended, we both went upstairs to go to sleep. But first, I followed her to her room and hit her with a pillow. She retaliated and hit be back, and we jumped on the bed and hit each other with pillows, filling the room with feathers and laughing like lunatics. We flopped down on the bed side by side, panting for breath. Once I'd caught my breath, I got up and went back to my bedroom, and she went to take a bath. There was no way I was going to get any sleep, so I climbed out the window onto the tree outside. I used it to climb onto the roof, and I laid there all night, watching the stars.

For the next few days, we stayed inside the house watching cartoons and eating whatever the kitchen had to offer. It was full of sweets, so we didn't go hungry. Violet got sick of sweets after the second day and went back to real food, but I never did. I didn't eat much, but when I did it was something loaded down with sugar.

We continued our arson spree, until one day I went out and saw a wanted poster with my face on it. Someone had seen me, they had connected me to the crimes, and they were after me. I realized that I didn't have long until they caught me. Well, it's not like this was unexpected. I wasn't exactly being overly-cautious. It was then that I realized that prison didn't sound unappealing to me. I was starting to get really bored, and just think of all the chaos I could cause in there.

I went back to the house and didn't tell Violet about the poster. We watched _Alice in Wonderland _while we ate dinner. Her dinner was a sandwich, mine was an ice cream bar.

"Violet, you know our partnership can't last forever, right?" I asked her as Alice went to the Mad Hatter's tea party.

"I believe I said that myself when we first made the agreement."

"But what are you going to do after we part ways?"

"It's none of your business."

"I'm just curious. You are the only friend I've ever had, you know. Probably the only one I ever will have."

"Why's that?"

"People aren't exactly my top priority. I don't go looking for people to befriend."

"And we met by accident."

"Exactly."

"I'm not sure what I'll do. Stay on the run, live by my own rules, that's really all I want to do."

"Will you keep setting things on fire?"

"Perhaps, though not as often as I do now. But what about you? What will you do?"

"Who knows."

"Is that all you have to say? You have no idea what you'll do?"

"I'll probably do the same as you, but I'm not really all that concerned about my future. I'm just a leaf on the wind."

"Do you think we'll ever see each other again?"

"It's a small world, I won't rule anything out."

Just then, we heard sirens coming from outside.

"They've caught us!" said Violet, panic in her eyes.

"Let's burn the house down and make a run for it."

"No! If we go out now, they won't know we've been the ones who've been setting all the fires. If we burn this one down it'll be like signing our own death warrants!"

"Don't be so dramatic, it wouldn't be that bad. They probably already know we're the culprits, so we might as well burn down one more, especially if it is our last."

"Let's go out in flames," she said with a grin to match my own.

"You read my mind."

I took out my lighter and set fire to the curtains. I tossed the lighter to Violet and she set fire to the bedsheets upstairs.

"That ought to do it, now let's get out of here," she said as smoke started filling the air.

I grabbed her and pushed her into the bathroom, but she struggled and fought back.

"What are you doing?"

"Ending our partnership." I almost regretted it, she had become my favorite toy. Sentiment, that's what it was. She had a taste for chaos just like I did, and I liked that. But I was done with her.

"You're going to kill me? I thought we were friends!"

"You have very bad taste in friends."

I forced her into the bathroom and stuck a chair under the knob to keep her from opening it.

"I'm going to get out of this, and when I do, I'm going to kill you!"

"I look forward to it!"

I ran out of the house and was almost immediately caught by a police officer.

"You're in big trouble, boy."

"I always am."

As he was handcuffing me, I watched as flames roared through the windows. In the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a streak of white blonde hair. I looked and caught just the slightest glimpse of her.

"She made it out after all. I'm so proud."

"Who made it out?" he asked.

"My partner in crime."

He loaded me in the back of his car as firetrucks started arriving. My arson spree was over.

When they took me to the police station, they demanded to know my name. I refused to give them my old one, but I knew that if I was to have permanent possession of this body I would need a name for myself.

"Now son," said one of the officers. "I know you probably didn't mean to hurt anyone when you set that fire, it was an accident, right?"

"No. Every move I make is calculated," I said disinterestedly. "I didn't accidentally start any of those fires by playing with matches."

This seemed to take the officer aback. No doubt he was used to kids starting trouble but not meaning to do any real harm. He just assumed that most kids just needed a wake up call and they'd go back to being good kids after the horror of being arrested. I showed no emotion on my face, other than a little sly grin and a wink every now and again to let them know that I wasn't one of those kids.

During my brief time at the station, I caught a glance at a criminal report of another boy.

…_Did poorly in school, and his academic failures made him malevolent towards the other children. This resulted in violent outbursts in school…_

Malevolent. I liked that word.

After that, I said nothing and ignored them completely. They put me in a juvenile detention center, and they deposited me in my cell with my new bunkmate. He looked to be about my age, maybe a little older, with jet black hair.

"I'm Duncan, what do they call you?"

"No one calls me anything. I call myself the Malevolent One."

"That's a weird nickname. I mean, we've got Spider, Cobra, and Barfbag, but no one with a nickname like that. I'll just call you Mal, how about that?"

"Hm, Mal. I like Malevolent One better, but Mal will do."

"Get ready to have your face smashed in, juvie initiation is not for the weak. I pity you, newbie," he said with a grin.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll have a grand old time."

**Mike's POV:**

As I sat there, my limbs heavy and my skin rubbed raw from the chains, I wondered how it had come to this.

How could Jake do all this? He murdered my parents, and as relieved as I was to be free of them, I still believed they didn't deserve to die like that. He talked about how I was free, all the while keeping me and the others in chains.

He hadn't let me see the outside world since he burned my house down. I had no idea how much time had passed or what was going on outside. It felt like it had only been a few days, but the others had told me that our sense of time in here is warped and that it could really have been a few days, or it could be just a few minutes, or it could even be a few years. There was no way of knowing.

The chains were wrapped around my arms and legs, and they were painful and heavy. I could tell the others were also weighed down by their chains, though they tried to pretend they weren't. They talked a little, but not much. Most talking was us pleading with Jake to let us go, but he ignored us.

"_How long do you think he'll keep us in here?"_ I asked Svetlana.

"_As long as he deems fit,"_ she replied, her head hanging down. She turned to look at me with a little smile. _"But Svetlana believes it vill not be forever. Either Jake vill see reason, or ve vill escape. Either vay, you vill be okay."_

"_If only I could just wake up, then everything would be all right."_

"_What are you going on about, young'un?"_

"_Well, I made all this up, and I must be dreaming it. I'm at home in my bed, and this is all really just a nightmare."_

"_Um, no it's not," said Vito. _

"_Of course it is, I can't really be trapped in my own head, and you guys can't actually talk, you're just imaginary friends I made up so I wouldn't be lonely. None of you are real, and neither is Jake."_

"_Think again, wallaby."_

"_If only I could wake up, but I don't know how. I've tried pinching myself and everything, nothing works."_

"_Zat is because you are not dreaming. All zis is really happening."_

"_No, that's impossible. I imagined all of you, but I didn't stop when my dad told me too and now I'm stuck in a nightmare. But what I'm wondering is, why did I imagine Jake this way, hurting people? Does that mean, if my brother were still alive, he would be this way?"_

"_No, no, no," _said Svetlana. _"Remember, zis zing is not your brother. He may be like him, but zey are being vastly different. Zis zing is evil and cruel, your brother vas sweet and kind and gentle, like you. Ven you look back on your time with Jake, do not be zinking of zis zing, zink of your little brother, and how much you loved him and how much he loved you."_

"_All I wanted was my little brother back. He was my best friend, he shouldn't have died. Why did they both have to die? Why can't they still be here with me? They never did anything wrong, Jake was just a little kid and Lizzie was just a baby, why did they have to go? I just wanted him back, I just wanted them both back. I never meant for any of this to happen."_

I started sobbing, and Svetlana tried to put an arm around me to comfort me, but her chains were too heavy.

"_I'm going to wake up somehow, and then I'll never use my imagination ever again."_


	7. New Identity

**Mal's POV:**

For the first few weeks I was at the bottom of the food chain. They called it "Rush the New Guy" and it meant swirlies, punches, and pranks galore were all targeted at me. Duncan told me it wouldn't end until another new guy came in, and that he had been the last new guy before I came along.

I was different from what they were used to, however. They were used to the new guy crying for his mommy and begging for mercy. I never reacted to anything they did. I wouldn't cry, beg for mercy, or even flinch. I just stayed silent, staring straight ahead until it was over, and then I resumed whatever I had been doing as though nothing had happened. Naturally, they thought this was weird, and they started calling me Blinky because no matter what they did I wouldn't blink. It became a game to them, whoever made me blink first would win.

One day, I was getting my food in the cafeteria when the leader of the pack, a guy called Razor, shoved my tray into my face. I had become accustomed to wearing my food instead of eating it.

"Oh look, you got mashed potatoes on my jumpsuit," he said as the others laughed. "You're gonna have to pay for that, squirt."

He punched me in the gut, and although it hurt and I doubled over, I didn't change expression or blink.

"What is wrong with you, squirt? It's like you're always in your own little dreamland." He started flicking my face, trying to make me react. He licked his hand and wiped it down my cheek. He poked me in both eyes, but I was as still as a stone.

"Maybe he's a robot," someone suggested. "Or maybe he's just brain damaged."

"Which is it, squirt? What's wrong with your brain?" He took a fork and stuck it into my back. He knocked on my head and said, "Hello, anybody home?"

"Maybe he's a science experiment gone horribly wrong."

"Whatever he is, I don't think he's human."

The others all got a good laugh out of that. Razor took the fork out of my back and made it look like he was going to stab me in the eye. In a moment of weakness, my eyes drier than a desert, I blinked.

"He blinked! I told you I'd get him! Blinky blinks at last!" said Razor as the others cheered him.

Now was the moment I would assert my power over all these imbeciles. Razor had won, he'd gotten me to blink, and now he would get his prize. I'll admit, my plan was savage and barbaric, but it produced great results.

I jumped on him. Razor was huge, probably four times my size, and uglier than a troll. He had to be at least sixteen. He tried to throw me off, but I put my arms around his thick neck and held on tight. He was going to pull me off and make me a permanent part of the white tile floor, but before he could I sank my teeth into his ear and tore it off.

I let go and dropped down to the floor. Razor screamed and clutched his head where his ear had been as blood seeped through his fingers.

"He bit it off, the freak bit my ear off!"

I spit the ear out and threw it across the room at the other inmates. I wiped the blood off my mouth; that was really gross.

I laughed as everyone saw the ear and started screaming and freaking out. The guards stepped in to contain the chaos, and one of them grabbed me and dragged me away as I laughed at the chaos and confusion.

After everything calmed down, Razor was taken to the hospital along with his ear and I was put in solitary confinement for a few days. I promised them I wouldn't do any more biting and they let me go back to my old cell with my old cellmate. I wouldn't mind honoring this promise, I didn't particularly enjoy the taste of ear.

Duncan wasn't exactly thrilled to have me back. Though he tried to hide it, I could tell he was trying to put as much distance between us as possible, which suited me just fine.

One day, outside my cell, I caught sight of Mike's reflection in a mirror. No, not his anymore, mine. I decided that if this brain was under new management, I should make that apparent on the outside. I brushed my hair down over one eye with my fingers. It was intimidating and edgy, and I liked it. I also started lowering my voice, making it different from Mike's or any of the other's. I wanted it to be all my own.

Despite my young age, when I was allowed back in the common area, the other inmates avoided me like the plague. Even the toughest and meanest pretended I didn't exist, not wanting to lose an ear like Razor. They hadn't been able to reattach it because the ear had been trampled and was too damaged by the time they got it to the hospital. His new nickname was One-Ear, and he too avoided me.

I used my newfound power to my advantage. When I wanted something, I got it. I usually didn't have to raise my voice or use violence, my reputation spoke loud enough for me. And when I started channeling the others, letting them come halfway out but not enough to have full control, it only made me look crazier, increasing their fear. I didn't care what they thought of me, as long as they were too afraid to cross me.

I had a little group of followers who tried to kiss up and get on my good side. It was mostly weaklings whose only hope of survival was to hide in the shadow of those stronger. I let them think they had won my favor, when really I detested them. Anyone who couldn't fight their own battles and relied on the strength and power of intimidation of others to get by was a waste of skin. They were very good at following orders at least, and so when I told them to do something, such as starting a fight with someone I didn't like, they didn't ask questions.

My favorite thing to do was whistle a tune I'd heard on TV once. It was a simple, innocent tune that held no real meaning, but after a while of hearing me whistle it I could see that it affected those who heard it, they would cringe. The fact that just whistling could unsettle them just went to show how much power I had here. I really had nothing to gain, I just enjoyed using my power to mess with their heads.

"Say, Duncan?" I said one night in our cell. "I heard you asking the warden if you could get a new cellmate, why was that? Aren't we pals?"

He hesitated, then answered from his cot on the other side of the room, "Well, I figured you might like a cell all to yourself."

"Why would I want that? I get enough alone time in solitary confinement, I don't need my own cell. Do you not want to bunk with me?"

"You've got an um… impressive reputation."

"Then you should be honored to share a cell with me."

"Well, I guess I'm going to, whether we like it or not."

"I'm feeling curious, what did you do to get in here?"

"That's a secret. My business."

I had to give him props, he did a good job of pretending he wasn't afraid. It couldn't be easy, going to sleep with two ears and knowing you could wake up with one or both gone, or you might not wake up at all. At least he couldn't say he didn't have an interesting roommate in juvie.

"Oh come on, I'll tell you what I did if you tell me what you did."

"I don't even want to imagine what you did."

"It wasn't that bad, honest. I just set my parent's house on fire while they were sleeping, that's all. Nothing special, really."

"Why'd you do it?"

"They were lousy parents."

"Mine are too sometimes, but I'm not going to set their house on fire."

"You don't know what you're missing."

"You seem to like juvie a lot," Duncan commented quietly. "You're the only one here who does."

"I don't see anything about it that's not likeable. I have all my little peons practically kissing my feet, I have total control. The kingdom may not be the greatest in the land, but that doesn't make me any less of a king. But now it's your turn Duncan. Why are you here? What naughty thing did you do to get yourself locked up in here with me?"

Duncan didn't answer, I assumed he was trying to pretend to be asleep. I let the matter drop, I wasn't interested in anything he had to say, anyway.

Instead of sleeping, I went inside the tower in my head to visit the others. They were all chained in a line before my throne. Their wrists and ankles were weighed down by the manacles, they were really suffering in here.

"_Jake, please!"_ said Svetlana. _"Please be letting us go!"_

"_Ayo, what did we ever do to you to deserve this?"_ asked Vito.

"_Do I really need to say it?"_ I asked. _"Do I really need to remind you?"_

"_Vat ve did vas wrong, ve know zat! Ve are sorry, let us be making it up to you!"_

"_It's too late for that. You only regret your choices now because I'm a threat, because you're too weak to overpower me. You'll spend the rest of your lives in here, and you will never have control ever again."_

"_Jake, why are you doing this?"_ asked Mike with tears running down his face. _"You're not a bad person, you don't like hurting people, why won't you let us go? I know you Jake, and this isn't you."_

"_Mike, the others exist to help you escape, right? Well, except Chester, he doesn't really serve a purpose, does he?"_

"_Someone's gotta keep an eye on you hooligans!"_

"_My point is that we don't have to escape anymore. The bullies want to escape from me. They fear me, do you know what that feels like? It's the best feeling in the world. No one will ever give us a hard time ever again as long as I'm in control. Manitoba, Svetlana, Vito, you're all obsolete now, useless. You know Mike, I might let you out of those chains someday, once you've come to accept that this mind doesn't belong to you anymore. I might even let you use it sometimes. I know it will be difficult, but once you realize that it's better this way, you'll be happy. And you'll never have to live in fear again."_

"_No! This is my mind and it belongs to me, not you! It's not right to hurt people to stay in control, and that's what you've been doing. I won't ever surrender to you, Jake, but I do want us to be friends again. If you stop this, if you let us go and let me have control again, I'll forgive you and we'll forget this ever happened. I'm willing to give you a second chance, will you take it?"_

At first, I was conflicted. On one hand, Mike had been all I had for years. After this, it was very likely that I would never be offered another chance. And there was still that small part of me that believed it was wrong to steal Mike's mind and body from him.

But giving him back control meant going back to our old life. His parents might be dead, but there would always be other people who would like nothing more than to hurt us. Mike was a spineless pushover, he couldn't defend himself without us, without me. Mike being in control would take us back to the way life used to be, full of fear and pain. He was pathetic, weak, and unfit to lead. As long as I was in control, no one could ever hurt us again. Mike had had his chance and he failed. I was done being his guardian angel, and there was no going back.

"_That's sweet of you to say, but I have to decline. This mind is mine now, none of you will ever have control ever again. But_ _here's a heads-up, my name isn't Jake anymore. I'm the Malevolent One, but you can call me Mal, if you prefer."_

"_Come on Jake, you can't keep us in here forever!" _said Manitoba.

I kicked Manitoba in the face. He clutched his bleeding nose in pain as I said, _"I said, my name is Mal. There is no Jake, and if you call me that again I'll do far worse than break your nose."_

"_Manitoba, are you okay?" _asked Mike.

"_Fine mate, doesn't even hurt_,_"_ said Manitoba, even though it was obvious that wasn't true.

"_Obviously it's not going to be easy for you all to learn my new name, and even then you might be tempted to call me by my old one. I'm going to make the transition easier for you."_

I put my hand on their heads one by one and took their memories of who I used to be. I left my old self as a blank slate in their memories, so they would have no idea of who I used to be. I could never let them remember the truth, it was too shameful, too terrible. I would die before letting them find out.

None of them knew how to use the mind in this way, but would they if they could? Just another reason why I was the best choice for king.

"_What's my name, Mike?"_

"_Mal."_

"_All together now, what's my name?"_

Silence.

"_I said, what's my name!?"_ this I half shouted, half snarled at them.

"_Mal,"_ they said in unison.

"_Wonderful. I have a feeling that we'll all get along much better from now on."_

I was about to leave them, but I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of guilt in my chest. I enjoyed the chaos, and I reveled in Mike's parent's deaths, but I couldn't deny that part of myself that wanted to help Mike. So, to make myself feel better, I took some more memories from Mike. It was never easy doing this, especially since I already had so many of my own. I didn't need his. But it would help him, and it made me feel better about what I was doing, and what I had already done.

* * *

><p>I started out very short, but during my stay in juvie I went through a growth spurt and grew a couple inches taller. I didn't gain any muscle, so my new height didn't help me look intimidating. That was okay, I didn't rely on looks to get by.<p>

Obviously, I couldn't ride on the ear incident forever. A month or two after it happened, people started questioning my authority. After all, what teenager enjoys being subjugated to an eight year old? I was expecting it, and I was ready for it. I didn't go biting off anymore ears, but with tricks and manipulation, I was able to maintain my position of power. I already had my little gang of followers at my beck and call, and I learned that I could be very persuasive, and make people think that I was on their side when really they were on the chopping block.

"Boss, I heard Scarecrow and his posse are comin' for ya in the showers tonight, they're gonna beat the crap outta you and blame it on another gang," one of my followers told me, a guy named Rufus.

Like anywhere else in the world, there were gangs in here, all fighting for dominance. "Tell the warden that you heard Scarecrow say he smuggled a gun in his cell and he's going to use it to stage an escape tonight."

It worked, and while Scarecrow's cell was being raided, he was too busy to come after me. Rufus expected to be rewarded for this, but unbeknownst to him, I'd had another of my followers implicate him with Scarecrow, so he also had to have his cell raided. He had cigarettes in there that he used to bargain with, so he lost his bargaining chips and the little power he had with the others.

I could make people think they had come up with an idea on their own when really I had planted the seed long before.

"Doesn't Tremor look tired to you? I think he's losing his edge," I said to one of Tremor's gang members in the common area. "He'd better be careful, someone might try to replace him soon. It's a good thing he has such loyal followers, mine are always trying to stage mutiny on me."

"Yeah, loyal," he scoffed. "Maybe it is time someone stronger took his place."

And there was only one way for a new alpha to be chosen, the same way wolves do it: by taking out the former alpha.

I spread around whispers and rumors and made people turn on their friends and allies.

"Hey Malcolm, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked a big, burly fifteen year old in the lunch line.

"What do you want, freak?"

"There's something I need to tell you. The others said I shouldn't, but you deserve the truth. But maybe they were right, maybe I should just leave well enough alone. After all, Juan is your best friend and I wouldn't want to ruin that."

He slammed his tray down and grabbed me by the shirt and hoisted me off the ground.

"Tell me what?" he barked, getting spittle on my face.

"I don't want to hurt you!"

"You tell me right now or I'll make it so that your own mother won't recognize you!"

"Okay, okay, but don't say I didn't warn you. Juan said that when he gets out he's going to steal your girlfriend from you. He said they kissed a lot before juvie when you weren't around, and she said she doesn't love you anymore. It's so terrible, I mean, how could your best friend do this to you?"

He dropped me and ran at Juan, who was already at a table. He pounced on him and let out a full assault on him.

"Malcolm, what are you doing?" Juan asked as he knocked a tooth out.

"You think you can take Fiona from me, well you've got another thing coming!"

"I would never do that! Fiona loves you!"

"I've seen the way you look at her, I'll kill you for this!"

I kept moving down the line, watching the show with a smirk as I went. Not only had I just made one of the gangs collapse on itself, but I got some entertainment out of it, too. Really, who needs muscle when words destroy people faster?

I wasn't big or strong, but what I lacked in strength I made up for in sheer will power and determination, with charm and deception on the side. Add that to my reputation of psychosis and most people would rather leave me be than oppose me. Most would never admit it, but they were all my slaves in there. I should have been the weakest link, I should have been at the bottom of the food chain, begging for scraps from those stronger than I. Someone like me should never have tasted power, but here I was, at the very top, where no one could stop me. Though I wore no crown on my head, I was their king.

One day, one of my followers decided he didn't want to follow anymore, he wanted to lead. We were outside; most of the guys were either lifting weights or playing basketball. I was sitting against the wall out of the sun, my peons all sitting close by. It's like they thought that if they stayed close enough to me, my power would rub off on them. It was about as likely as a servant becoming royalty by hanging around a king.

I saw Duncan with some of his buddies sporting a new eyebrow ring. He had dark circles under his eyes similar to mine, which was understandable. He probably didn't get much sleep with me around. It was smart of him to stay so vigilant, but he wasn't a target. It was much more fun to see his fear of what I might do eat away at him, I was torturing him by not torturing him.

One of my servants came over and stood before me. I think his name was Hector, I didn't care enough to know for sure. He was nearly sixteen, and he was one of the many heavyweights here.

"That's perfect, stay right there, it adds to the shade. I don't want any sun."

"You've been a good leader, Mal, but you'll never be a great one. I think it's time we had a new alpha."

I yawned and said, "Well, if you see any great leaders around, let me know."

"I'm going to take your place. Now, since you're just a kid, I'll let you step down and there doesn't have to be a fight."

"That's so sweet of you."

"Does that mean you'll accept my offer?"

"No, it means I think your little gesture of mercy is sweet, where do you get 'I accept your offer' out of that?"

"You're really going to fight me? Kid, you're the smallest and youngest guy here."

"I'm also coincidentally the craziest." I stood up and raised my fists. I wouldn't be channeling any of the others for this, this was my fight.

By now, nearly all talk had ceased and everyone was watching to see what would happen. Hector threw a punch, but I neatly dodged it. He kept throwing kicks and punches, but I avoided each one by ducking a split second before his blows would have connected.

"You can't avoid and evade forever, Mal," Hector said as he tried to land a blow on my shoulder. "This isn't dodge ball, you can't win by dodging!"

"Indeed." I kept dodging and people cheered for both sides. Some yelled for me to fight back already, some yelled at Hector to tear my spine out. I caught sight of Duncan keeping quiet; he didn't want me to win but if he cheered for Hector he knew this might be his last night on earth.

I waited for Hector to slow down from fatigue. He kept the blows coming, but once he had weakened a little I ducked under his legs and jumped onto his back. I put one arm around his neck and squeezed, and the other I used to cover his eyes so he couldn't see. The cheers for both sides only grew louder as Hector tried to throw me off, but with his restricted airway it was hard to do, in spite of my small size. He started running to try to throw me off, like a wild bull trying to buck its rider. He couldn't see, and so he ran straight into the brick wall headfirst, but I jumped off just in time to avoid injury. Hector collapsed on the ground, still breathing but with a bleeding head wound. Whatever brain function he'd had before was probably dead now.

The only sound for several seconds was the sound of me catching my breath. I turned around with an evil, triumphant grin and said, "Would anyone else like to challenge me? Come on, I'm only eight years old, you guys can take me. Doesn't anyone want to take my place as alpha wolf? Or would you rather follow me and avoid ending up like poor Hector here?"

A chant broke out, quiet at first, but it grew louder with each passing second. "Mal! Mal! Mal! Mal!"

It started out with just my followers, but then it spread to others, people who had not been part of my posse before. Two guys lifted me into the air as they shouted my name. They kept worshiping me until the guards came in and made everyone go back to their cells and took Hector to the hospital. But even then, a whisper filled the halls of the building as they quietly kept chanting my name.

It's good to be king.

* * *

><p>Despite having a brutal reputation, every now and again a newbie would come in and try to talk to me. My own followers rarely made any attempts to actually speak to me unless they had news to deliver, they usually just hung around at my side and waited for orders. Others would either warn them or encourage them to talk to me. Either way, I always made sure to be super friendly.<p>

"Hey, I'm Roland, I'm new here. Just got busted for vandalism and property damage. You're Mal, right?"

We were in the cafeteria. I was eating an apple, my only sustenance for the day. I only ate enough to keep the body going, no more than that. I sized up the guy talking to me; he was a few years older than me, with bright red hair and a nose ring. He was bigger than me, pretty much everyone in here was, but he was no Razor, that was for sure.

"The one and only," I said nonchalantly.

"You're scrawnier than I thought you'd be, no offence," he said as he sat down. "What are you, six?"

"Eight and a half."

"And you're already running the place. Is it true what they say? You're the one who tore off One-Ear's ear, with your teeth?"

"Who told you that?"

"I don't know, some guys. So, is it true?"

"It's just a rumor, I don't know how it got started."

Roland looked puzzled. "Then why are they so afraid of you?"

I shrugged. "Beats me. I'm just a puny little thing, I'm no threat to anyone."

"You must have done something to have earned their fear and respect. Come on, don't be modest, what was it?"

"Do you promise you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you? You have to keep my secret."

"Yeah, yeah of course I will," said Roland eagerly.

"Well, the reason they're so afraid of me is because…" I whispered the last part. "They think I'm crazy."

"Are you?"

"That's up to you to decide. You look pretty smart, you decide what you believe."

"Yeah, that's right."

"You don't take orders from anyone, I'll bet."

"Oh, you know it. I'm my own man."

"No doubt about that. Guys like us have to stick together, right?"

"Definitely. You know, you look like you could use some muscle on your side, in case anyone ever tries to give you trouble. No offence, but I've seen walking sticks with more meat on them than you."

"I could use some protection, given that I am rather defenseless. Show me what you've got, go pick a fight with that guy over there." I pointed at a guy sitting at another table, the biggest guy here. He looked more like a moose than a teenager. "His name's Scratch, he's a boxing champ and he's in here for assault and battery. He thinks nose rings are gross, and he thinks every new guy is a wimp. If you can take him down, you can join my posse. But if you're too scared, I won't hold it against you."

"He doesn't look so tough."

I watched as Roland went over and punched Scratch in the nose. I watched the ensuing fight with a smirk. Roland was so out of his league here, he'd be lucky to come out of this as a pancake. Scratch was dragged away by guards, but not before he left Roland a bloody pulp.

"Dinner and a show," I chuckled as I tossed the apple core over my shoulder.

* * *

><p>Roland tried to get on my good side a few more times, but I ignored him. He kept following me around like a puppy, waiting for me to demonstrate my power. Well, I'll do anything for a fan, and I was bored anyway. That day in the cafeteria, no one tried to talk to me, so I had to entertain myself in other ways.<p>

"Lookie what I got," I said as I held up my trophy from the day's plundering. I didn't have to raise my voice; when I spoke, everyone listened.

"Is that a cellphone?" someone asked.

"Sharp observation," I replied.

The warden came to stand behind me. "That's my cellphone."

I turned to look at him. "Oh, so all of a sudden everything in your pocket belongs to you? Well then you'll want your wallet and lighter back, too," I said as I handed everything back to him. "Your wife is very pretty, by the way."

"You know what this means."

"Not solitary confinement! Oh please, anything but that!"

He reached out to grab my arm, but I dodged and jumped on the table. I started channeling Svetlana, and I used her to jump and grab onto one of the overhead lights and swing off it. I landed on another table, and by now I was being swarmed by guards. I did flips over their shoulders, and I leapt onto the counter where the food was served and started channeling Vito. I didn't need him, but the change in voice always unsettled them.

I took a metal fork and held it to the cook's throat. She whimpered as the guard's pointed their guns at me.

"Bet you weren't expecting this to happen when you were gettin' ready for work this morning, were ya?" I said. "I'm really sorry about all this, a fork in your throat would just put a damper on your whole day, wouldn't it? I'm really raining on your parade here."

I looked back to the guards. Everyone was staring at me, watching to see what I would do. I smiled my most charming smile and said, "Ayo, you guys are really making a big deal out of nothin'. I'm sure you're expecting me to use this poor woman as leverage for escape, but you are sadly mistaken. I don't want to leave, you guys are like family to me! We're one big, happy family, and what does family mean? It means we stick together, through thick and thin. No one will be getting a fork in the throat today."

I lowered the fork from her neck, and she started to cry. I stopped channeling Vito as the guards came at me, and I still had the fork in my hand. I jabbed one of the guard's with it, right between the eyes. He cried out in pain as the others tackled me to the floor and handcuffed me.

"I never said I wouldn't stick it somewhere else!" I said with a laugh as I was dragged away. I caught sight of Roland; all the blood had drained from his face. He had gotten the taste of my power he thought he wanted, and I had a feeling he wouldn't be coming back for more. We might all be bad kids here, but only a few had bloodlust. The others might act tough, but they were all soft on the inside. People like that made me sick.

I was given another timeout in solitary confinement, but I didn't mind. The others could relax for the moment, but I would be back soon enough. As long as I was around, I had all the power, and no one could take me down.


	8. Raccoon Eyes and Fireflies

My reign as king over juvenile hall lasted for about a year, give or take a few months. And what a glorious reign it was, while it lasted. No kingdom can last forever, it would seem.

At some point I was deemed mentally unfit to stay in juvie and I was sent to a child psychiatric facility. I think the final straw was when I recited a poem about the beauty of blood in the common room one day. I had composed it the previous night when I couldn't sleep. One guy told me to shut up, probably because he was creeped out by how morbid it was, and so I used the knife I'd taken from the cafeteria and used his blood to write my poem on the wall as I spoke.

"The blood runs down, so full of life,

"The only sign of all the strife.

"It shines like rubies, though men abhor,

"As it runs out, and the heart beats no more."

The warden didn't exactly appreciate my artistic expression, and so I was transferred to my very first asylum. You never forget your first. Before I left though, I snuck out of my cell after everyone was asleep and hacked into the computer system. One of my little worshippers was a computer whiz, he'd told me how to get through the computer system here weeks ago. I deleted my criminal history and my name out of their system completely. I was still going to the whacky shack, but now it was as though I had never existed. It's amazing what you can get done when you never sleep.

I heard the collective sigh of relief as they escorted me out the next day, especially Duncan, who no longer had to bunk with a maniac. I was just surprised they hadn't come to this conclusion sooner.

In the asylum, I traded out my prison orange for madhouse white. All the doctors were nice to me, as though I was a guest and not a patient. I was given my own room, and I had a window, something I hadn't had in juvie. I really liked that window, even though most of my view was blocked by another building. When you're locked away inside at all hours, you really start appreciating windows to the outside world.

I met an interesting assortment of strange children during my stay. Most of them had brain damage and weren't fit to live in the outside world, but they were nice and didn't seem to mind living here. There weren't many in here like me, who were in here because they were actually crazy. There was one girl with curly red hair that came in one day, but only for a checkup. Her doctors advised her parents to check her in indefinitely, and I could see why, she was a lunatic. But they saw nothing wrong with her and took her home with them against their wishes. I believe her name was Izzy, but I wasn't really paying attention so I can't be sure.

I made the decision on the first day that if I was to be kept in a mental hospital, I was going to earn my keep, and so I put on a real show of acting crazy for the doctors. I channeled the others more often than I had in juvie. It was always painful for them to be forced out without any control, and that made it even more delicious.

I dug deep scratches into my arms with my fingernails and used the blood to draw pictures on the walls. For the first few days they kept me in a straightjacket, until I promised not to do it anymore.

I described to my doctors in great detail about every dark, sick, twisted thought that sprung forth from the murderous abyss that was my mind. I even howled at the moon sometimes just to top it all off. I went over the top with my performance, and I could see how it affected my doctors. Though they tried to remain professional, I could see the fear in their eyes.

In the early days of my stay, they treated me with therapy and drugs with weird names I could barely pronounce. They put me in group therapy, but my first session was also my last.

"Children, we have a new friend to talk to today. Please say hello to Mal."

Less than half acknowledged my presence. A few were excited to see a new face and were eager to welcome me into the flock. I took the only empty seat next to an overweight kid with thick glasses.

"Hi, my name's Jeremy," he whispered.

"Hello, Jeremy," I replied.

"Are you nervous about being here?"

"Why would I be nervous?"

"I'm always nervous, and I've been coming here for a while now."

"Do you live here, Jeremy?"

"No, I just come for therapy every week."

"Why do you need therapy? You seem like a normal kid."

"Well, I have trouble paying attention in school, and I get really worried sometimes. I have this problem… but therapy makes me feel better."

"That's good to hear. We'll be good friends, Jeremy."

"Mal, would you like to start us off today?" asked the doctor. He was in his late sixties, with thinning white hair. He smiled to encourage me.

"Would it be okay if I tell you all about myself?" I asked timidly. I put my hands behind my back and lowered my head in a show of bashfulness.

His eyes widened. Until now, I had given no hints to my past, they had no idea where I came from. Needless to say, his interest was piqued.

"That would be very brave of you. Go ahead, if you wish."

I cleared my throat. "Everyone thinks it's silly, but I have this fear. I know it's dumb, but I can't help it. They haunt my nightmares, every time I blink I see them. I can't escape, I know they're coming for me. They're following me, watching me all the time. They're going to get me someday, I just know it! The only sound I hear is that terrible noise they make! Make it stop!" I cried as I covered my ears.

"What are you afraid of, Mal?" asked the doctor.

"Ducks!"

"You think ducks are scary, too?" asked a little boy timidly.

"I got in trouble at school a lot because I was late to every class and I always missed the bus," I continued. "The reason is that I spent a lot of time organizing everything. I just couldn't stop myself, no matter how hard I tried. If things aren't in order, it bothers me. Why can't people just keep things in order, is that so hard? One of your buttons isn't done right on your coat, doctor. It's bothering me."

Jeremy said, "You have OCD too?"

"I also worry about my weight. My parents worry about me because I don't eat enough. I just don't want to get fat, no one will like me if I'm not perfect."

I watched the doctor's eyes slide off me and onto another girl, who blushed and looked away. I could see the gears turning in his head.

"I was abducted by aliens once, me and my cow-"

"Mal, this isn't you, you're talking about the other children. How do you know all this?"

"But the worst part of it all is my father." I looked the doctor right in the eye. "He used to be a surgeon, but he was fired because a patient he was working on died on the operating table. It was gallbladder removal surgery, it was supposed to be a simple procedure, but something went wrong and the patient's heart stopped. After he was fired, he went back to school and became a psychiatrist, and now he works in a children's mental ward. It's so shameful."

The doctor was speechless, but then he roughly took me by the arm and shoved me outside the door.

"How do you know these things?" he said as he slammed the door shut.

"I don't know what you're talking about, sir."

"None of what you said in there was about yourself, it was about the other children and me. How do you know these things?" He grabbed me by harshly the arms and shoved me against the wall.

"Did I upset you? At least I didn't mention how your wife left you, and how she won't let you see your daughter. I know it would really upset you if I reminded you of that."

His face turned purple in rage. "Tell me how you know those things! Tell me right now or I'll-"

"You'll what, sir?" I asked innocently enough, but with a challenge underneath. I grinned at him condescendingly, but then I caught sight of a nurse and I quickly rearranged my face to show fear.

"Dr. Berk! Unhand that child!" she said. She was a little pudgy, with graying brown hair.

"You haven't seen the things he's done in here, if you had you wouldn't be defending him. This is no child, I don't know what it is but it is not a child!" he growled.

I looked up at the nurse with doe eyes. "He won't let go of me, he's hurting my arms."

"There is nothing wrong with this boy, you talk of him as though he's not even human, and right in front of him, no less! Let go of him before I report you to the director. I'll take him back to his room."

Dr. Berk slowly released me, and the nurse held out her hand for me to take.

"Come with me, child."

I took her hand and let her lead me back to my room.

"Thank you for helping me, I was so scared," I told her.

"It was nothing, dear. I'm sure you didn't do anything to cause that man to behave that way."

"What's your name?"

"Barbara. What's yours?"

"Mal. Your name is pretty, it suits you."

"Thank you, that's very nice of you to say. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go back to my other patients."

"Wait a minute, can I ask you something?"

"What is it, darling?"

"I'm afraid of the doctors here. You saw how that man treated me, just because I'm different they don't like me. I need someone to take care of me, keep me safe. Maybe like a mother. My mother was very cruel to me, but you're so nice to me. Could you be my new mother?"

She looked taken aback, which was what I had expected, but mother's instinct won out in the end. I knew it would, I could see it written all over her face. There were two things I loved doing most in the world, and that was putting people in bad situations and seeing how they reacted, and finding a person's weak spot and picking at it until there was nothing left to pick.

"I suppose if you want to think of me that way, you can. I'll look after you."

She turned to go, but I said, "One more thing. I knew those things he was talking about because I escaped my room and looked through everyone's files a few days ago. It was easy, really. I also did research on the internet. I researched Dr. Berk, and the other doctors, too. I read your file, as well. You won't tell anyone, will you?"

She hesitated, unsure what she should do. She finally said, "I won't tell anyone, but you must promise not to do it again."

"I promise. Thank you for not telling, I know I can trust you," I said with a sweet smile.

She left the room and closed the door, and I silently congratulated myself. She had passed the test, and things had just gotten much more interesting.

"Hook, line, and sinker," I said with a dark chuckle.

* * *

><p>The next day, I was sitting in the common area at one of the tables. Across from me sat an eleven year old boy with severe autism, who only spoke in numbers. I was sure the numbers meant something, but I had no idea what.<p>

"Your move, Larry."

Larry only responded with more numbers, so I moved his checker piece for him.

Sitting by me was a fourteen year old girl named Alexa, who had Cotard's Syndrome. Also known as Walking Corpse syndrome, this meant she believed she was dead. Because she believed she was dead, she had taken huge risks and nearly gotten herself killed several times before being admitted here. Even now, she refused to eat anything and she claimed she was missing vital organs. These two were the usual ones that hung around me, but there were others too, ones who were really loony. I just attract those kinds of minds, I suppose.

The movie playing on TV was Bambi. They only showed movies that involved little to no violence, and this one was putting me to sleep. One boy by the television shouted at the rabbit for no apparent reason.

"You tell 'em, Ivan!" I said as I moved one of my black pieces on the board.

"What does it feel like to be alive, Mal?" asked Alexa with a yawn.

"Not much different than what it feels like to be a corpse. By the way, if you're dead, do you still have eyes?"

"No, they decayed along with everything else."

"Cool."

I moved another of Larry's pieces, and we became stuck in a stalemate. A big man in a suit who I had never seen before came over to the table and said, "What's your name, son?"

"Who's asking?"

"I'm Leo Thorndike, I'm one of the benefactors of this hospital. Every few months or so, I come to visit the patients and see how they're doing. I don't want my money wasted, you see."

"I see."

"I'd like to ask you a few questions about your stay here."

The director of the hospital came over and said, "Mr. Thorndike, wouldn't you rather talk to some of the other patients? This one is a little skittish around strangers."

"Nonsense, I love strange people." That got a laugh out of Mr. Thorndike.

"I like you, boy. So tell me, how do you like this hospital?"

The director glared at me over his shoulder. I was supposed to say nice things, only positive things about this place. I smiled really big and said, "I love this place, I never want to leave."

"Is that so? Tell me what you like about it."

"Where do I begin?"

"Why don't you start with the food."

"Okay, I will. The food is sublime, and I eat three meals every day. Sometimes the food tastes funny, I think they experiment on us. We are a captive audience, after all."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with trying new things."

"That's what I was thinking. As you can see by my strapping physique, I get a lot of exercise, they keep us healthy here."

"That's good to hear."

"At first, I didn't really want to run all those laps they make us run, but after they started using the whips, it made it so much easier."

"Whips? You use whips?" asked Mr. Thorndike. The director looked horrified.

"No! We would never do such a thing. Mal, no more of your lying."

I threw myself at the nurse and begged, "I'm sorry, I won't lie anymore. Just don't give me any more shock treatments, I promise I'll be good, I promise!"

"You use shock treatments, too?" asked Mr. Thorndike, appalled. "I will not fund such barbaric treatment methods!"

"But sir, wait! Don't listen to him, he's delusional! Ask the other children, they'll tell you we don't do things like that!"

I heard them arguing outside the common area, and I smiled to myself.

"Why did you lie?" asked a little boy putting together a puzzle on another table.

"Lying's the most fun I can have without slitting throats."

Everyone backed away from me, everyone except Larry and Alexa. Alexa already thought she was dead, so she didn't see me as a threat. Larry couldn't understand what I had said. He repeated a sequence of numbers, one he always repeated whenever I spoke. I realized I knew those numbers, but where had I seen them before? Then I remembered. I looked down at the numbers printed on my white shirt.

"That's my patient ID number. Every time someone speaks, you say their number. That wasn't in your file, look at that, I'm more clever than your doctor. What a surprise."

My free time ran out, and I was escorted back to my cell.

* * *

><p>That night, I snuck out of my room. Security here wasn't exactly top notch, so it wasn't difficult. Security in juvie was tighter, and if I could sneak around there with little trouble, then this was no problem. I was already good at getting in and out of things, lax security just made it too easy.<p>

I went outside, though I didn't intend to go too far. Eventually I planned to leave, but only when the mental hospital stopped being entertaining.

There were some woods outside the hospital, and I thought I heard something that sounded like singing. I followed the sound deeper into the forest, until I reached a small clearing, where a girl was twirling around, and singing a song I'd never heard before.

"I know you, I walked with you, once upon a dream."

An idea suddenly came to me, one I loved very much. I let Mike out of his chains, and I let him take control of the body for the first time in over a year.

**~Mike's POV~**

I couldn't believe it when Mal suddenly let me have control back. He unlocked my chains and put me back in charge. I knew there had to be a catch, but I had no idea what it could be. I didn't know what I should do, where I should go. If only I could wake up from this nightmare, then everything would be okay again, or at least, I hoped.

I had no idea how long it had been since Mal burned my house down. I had no idea what had happened since then, or where I was now.

I heard singing, and I looked up and saw a girl with long red hair in a white nightgown dancing with fireflies that were glowing like stars in the sky. She was beautiful in the moonlight, and I was transfixed by it.

She caught me looking and she gasped. "I didn't know anyone was here."

"It's okay, don't be embarrassed," I said quickly. "I liked your song, what's it called?"

"I don't know, it's from my favorite movie, _Sleeping Beauty_. The prince and the princess sing it to each other."

"Oh, well, it's nice. I'll leave you alone now."

"Wait." She came over and took me by the hand and pulled me into the clearing. "Do you live nearby? I've never seen you around here before. I'm staying with my grandparents for the weekend."

"I'm a long way from home, actually. I'm not even sure where home is anymore."

"Is that why you're so sad?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your eyes are sad, I've never seen eyes as sad as yours."

"I've lost things, that's why."

"You look really tired, too. You've got dark shadows under your eyes, you look like a raccoon."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, I like raccoons. But if you've lost things, that probably means you're lonely, I am too. We could be friends, and then neither of us would be lonely anymore."

She smiled, and it made me smile, too.

"Hey, do you like catching fireflies?"

"I've never done it before."

"I come out here sometimes at night to play with the fireflies. I like to pretend that they're fairies, and if you catch the right one, you'll get a wish granted. Want to join me?"

"Sure!"

The girl let go of my hand and snatched a firefly out of the air on her first try. She whispered something, and then let it go and it flew away.

"What did you wish for?"

"It has to stay secret, or it won't come true. Now you catch one."

I tried to catch the fireflies, but each one evaded my grasp.

"You make it look so easy."

"I've been doing it for a long time. Try it like this."

She caught another and showed it to me. She showed me the best way to catch them, and pretty soon I was able to catch them almost every time. The girl giggled as she chased the bugs, and though I couldn't bring myself to laugh with her, I was able to smile, something I hadn't been able to do in a long time. She made me want to be hopeful, though I didn't expect things to get any better anytime soon. Mal would probably have control for the rest of my life, or at least until I woke up, but at least I had this small moment when I could remember what it felt like to be happy.

I knew it was just a game and that these bugs couldn't grant wishes, but I made wishes on each one anyway. I wished that I could wake up from this nightmare and that everything would be the way it was supposed to be, and I wished that this girl would always be my friend. But if living in this nightmare meant I got to play with her, it wasn't so bad.

After a while of catching fireflies, I laid down in the grass. I don't know why, but I was so exhausted. I was also starving, but I was used to that. The girl laid down next to me, and she looked sleepy, too.

"I need to go home, but I don't want to," she yawned. "I've been having so much fun."

"Me too."

"Will you come back tomorrow night? So we can play with the fireflies again?"

"I'd love to."

I was about to ask her what her name was, but then Mal took back control. I struggled against his hold, I tried to fight back, he was too strong and he locked me back in my chains. He let me see out, like he did when my house burned, so I knew that this wasn't good.

**~Mal's POV~**

I took the scalpel out of my pocket as her eyelids closed. I brandished the blade to make sure Mike knew what I was doing.

"_Mal, no! Stop it! Please, I'm begging you, I'll do anything, just don't hurt her! She didn't do anything to you, you don't even know her! She's innocent, leave her alone, please let her go!" _Mike screamed. The others yelled at me along with him, none of them wanted to watch this girl die.

I raised the scalpel in the air and was about to bring it down to slice into her chest when someone yelled, "There she is!"

I ran behind a tree as a group of people entered the clearing. She sat up and blearily asked, "What's going on? Mom, Dad, why are you here?"

"We've been looking everywhere for you! Grandma and Grandpa called us when they couldn't find you, why did you run away?" asked her father. He picked her up and held onto her. I closed off the windows so Mike could no longer see or hear what was happening.

"I didn't run away, I was going to come back soon. I was just playing with the fireflies, and the boy with the raccoon eyes in the white pajamas."

"What boy? There's no one here," said her mother.

"Where did he go?" she asked.

"You must have dreamed him. Now no more sneaking out at night, you hear me, Zoey Roth?"

"Okay, I won't, Mama," she said sadly.

They carried her away, and Mike said, _"She got away, she's safe."_

I was miffed that my plan hadn't worked, but you can't win 'em all, I guess. I went back to the hospital, whistling my favorite tune.

* * *

><p>Barbara came to see me the next day. I was watching an animated movie about a boy living in the jungle.<p>

"Hello darling," she greeted me.

"Hey Barbara, come sit with me!" I said with a smile as I patted the bed beside me. She came and sat beside me.

"I see you like _The Jungle Book_," she commented.

"I like the tiger, and how Mowgli tied a burning stick to his tail."

She brushed my hair out of my eye. "You shouldn't hide your face, you have such lovely eyes."

I didn't argue or put my hair back the way I liked it. You have to pick your battles. I personally have never cared about my appearance, it's stupid and a waste of time.

"Mal, we need to talk."

"Did you know I'm not the original owner of this body?" I asked her out of the blue.

"I- what?"

I had been wondering for some time what they would do if they knew this body belonged to someone else. I knew most people would just think I'm even crazier than they thought, but I wanted to see what Barbara would say.

"You heard me. This body isn't mine, I stole it."

"You… stole it?" I could tell she was skeptical, but she kept asking questions as though she believed me. "Stole it from who?"

"My brother. Well, I thought I was his brother for some time but as it turns out, I'm not. I don't know what I am, or where I came from, or why I'm here. I just am."

Barbara looked concerned as I kept up my neutral expression. She changed the subject. "Mal, I need to talk to you. It's important."

"About what?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the screen.

"The doctors think you need different treatment. You're not in trouble, but the doctors in this ward don't think they can give you the care you need."

"They're so thoughtful."

"You're going to be moved to a new room, and you'll have new doctors. But don't worry, I'll still come see you every day."

I looked her in the eye. "You promise?"

"I promise."

Five minutes later, I was being moved to a whole new room, but this one looked far less friendly. The room was barely bigger than a closet, with just a bed with a thin mattress and a metal toilet. The bed had straps, which didn't bode well. I didn't mind the change of scenery, and I was excited to see what the doctors had in store for me in here. This floor was below ground level, and I had never heard it mentioned before. I was excited for what was to come.

Three hours after I was relocated, two doctors came in. They brought a cart with a machine I had never seen before.

"Hello friends!" I said as I leapt off my bed to meet them. "What's this machine do? Can I push the buttons?"

One of them forced me back onto to the bed and strapped me down, and I didn't try to fight him. The other put electrodes on my head and flipped a switch on the machine. I instantly felt every nerve in my body erupt in flame, my body convulsed and spasmed uncontrollably.

They only kept it going for about five seconds. They turned off the machine and undid my straps. Though my body was no longer on fire, the pain was still intense. As I gasped for air, I laughed at them.

"Wow, I was just making that whole thing up about the shock treatments, but you really do it! That felt good, give me some more. Come on, don't be stingy, give me more electricity!"

The doctors exchanged concerned glances and then left. Barbara came in after them and I immediately replaced my smile with tears.

"Mal, are you all right?"

"Everything hurts so much, why did they do that to me?"

"It's just to help you, I'm sorry that it hurts. It won't be like this forever."

She sat down on the bed and took me in her arms. I kept up the flow of tears and let her comfort me.

* * *

><p>I still had to go to therapy, but these sessions were private. My new doctor was a very stern man who didn't react when I tried to mess with him. Every time I would tell a joke or say something morbid, he just scribbled on his notepad and didn't change expression. I had seen oatmeal that was more lively than him. I made it my goal to get a reaction out of him, one way or another.<p>

I escaped from my cell again. It wasn't easy, but I was practically Houdini when it came to getting in and out of places undetected. I looked at the records again and discovered something interesting: my doctor was allergic to one of the drugs they used here at the hospital. I used this newfound information and broke into the stores of medicine and smuggled out some of the drug.

While I was in the records room, I took a few minutes to check my own file to see if anything had changed. Most of the spaces were marked unknown. They had me down as Mal Doe, a name that sounded way too innocent and naïve for someone like me. On here, it said I had a higher than average IQ. My doctor had given me an IQ test, and when he saw my results, it was the first time I'd ever seen him emote in anyway. He raised his eyebrows, I think he hit his first emotional milestone that day. I didn't care about my IQ score, I already knew I was smart, I didn't need to prove that to anyone.

I read through my list of symptoms. "Symptoms include: superficial charm, delusions of grandeur, narcissistic behavior, habitual lying, insomniac, manipulative, self-destructive behavior, violent behavior towards others, morbid fascination with death, antisocial behavior, impulsiveness, lack of remorse, and generally apathetic. Yup, that's me in a nutshell. Now, let's see what's new on the list. Hold on, hallucinations? I don't hallucinate. Maybe they're referring to when I talk to the others in my head. Idiots. Dissociative tendencies?" I had to check a dictionary for that one. I'd had to consult a dictionary for most of these medical terms. "To sever the association of oneself; separate. Whatever that means. Let's see if they have a diagnosis for me yet. Diagnosis: Inconclusive. All these symptoms and they can't make up their minds? What do I have to do, spin the wheel of psychosis?"

I closed the folder and put it back in the filing cabinet. I wasn't that concerned with having a diagnosis, but I was curious to know what they thought was wrong with me. But the fact that they didn't know probably unnerved them more than it would if they could just slap a label on my forehead. They didn't know what I was, and not knowing can be terrifying. Ignorance isn't always bliss.

The next day, during therapy, I waited until my doctor wasn't looking and poured the drug into his coffee. I assumed an innocent expression and pretended to listen as he continued on speaking about the most boring things in the world. I think he was talking about channeling anger into more constructive outlets like gardening or basket weaving, but I really wasn't paying attention so he could have been talking about dinosaurs in tutus for all I know. He finished his coffee and less than a minute later he started choking. He collapsed on the floor, writhing in agony. I stood over him with a broad smile on my face as I watched him die.

"Nighty, night, doc."

But then we were interrupted when someone came in uninvited. Barbara came in and I immediately ran over to her.

"Barbara! Something's wrong with my doctor!"

"Oh my goodness!" Barbara went to work and, unfortunately, saved his life. Later, in my room, Barbara confronted me on it, as I had expected she would.

"Mal, how did that drug get into that man's coffee?"

"I put it in there." Rather than make up an excuse, I told her the truth, or most of it anyway. I didn't want to tell her my reason for doing it was mostly out of boredom and because it was fun, so I made up a reason that would be easier for her to understand. "He was a mean man, and those doctors hurt me with the shock treatments. I wanted to scare them all, show them that it's a mistake to ever mess with me!"

"How could you?" she said in horror.

I got off my bed and went over to her. I put my arms around her middle and sweetly said, "I'm sorry I upset you, I didn't mean to. I didn't know it was wrong. I'm so glad you're my new mother, you're not mean like my old one. I'm lucky to have such a pretty mother, such a kind mother, such a loving mother, such a forgiving mother. You're the best mother in the whole world."

She left for a moment and came back with two little blue pills. "Do you still have trouble sleeping, Mal?"

"I've not slept a wink since I took control of the mind."

She shuddered at that, but said nothing about it. "I've got medicine here for you that will help you sleep. You've got dark circles under your eyes, you must be so tired. It's no wonder you act out, really, if you can't ever sleep."

"Oh no, sleep has nothing to do with it."

"Here, take these pills. You'll feel so much better after a good night's sleep."

I took the pills and popped them in my mouth. I opened up to show her I had swallowed them.

"Good, now you can sleep peacefully."

I yawned. "I think I'll go to bed now. Goodnight, Barbara."

"Goodnight, child."

As soon as she closed the door, I took the pills out from under my tongue and crushed them with my foot. I didn't need sleep, and if I did, that would be wasting eight hours of the day. I don't like to waste anything, especially not time.

Three days later, Barbara walked into my room while I was busy. She screamed and I just rolled my eyes.

"Mal, what have you done?" she asked in horror.

I was carving up the face of the doctor who had just finished giving me my shock therapy. I was kept separated from the other patients, so I had to get my hands dirty. She came over and snatched the bloody knife out of my hands. "Where did you get this?"

"I found it."

"Why did you do this? Mal, you can't do things like this!"

"I didn't know it was wrong," I said innocently.

"Don't give me that, it won't work anymore. You know perfectly well the difference between right and wrong."

I got off my bed and hugged her again, getting blood all over her. "Do you still love me?"

"Well… of course I do, but why do you do these things? Why do you hurt people?"

"I just do."

"What if you get caught? I don't want you to get in trouble, but you will if you keep doing things like this!"

"The hospital has a furnace, just put him in there. No one ever has to know if you help me. Will you help me?"

Barbara looked incredibly conflicted, but she nodded. She put the body on a stretcher and covered it with a sheet and took it to the furnace. After that was done, she brought me a change of clothes and cleaned the blood off of me and off my bed and the floor. She was very good at cleaning up crime scenes. I personally didn't care if I got caught, I mean, what could they do to me? Send me back to juvie? More shock treatments? Of course, they could always lobotomize me… but I'm not the type to worry. And as long as she hung around and was willing to clean up my messes, I figured I might as well use her.

"Now promise me you won't ever do anything like this ever again," she said sternly after the job was done.

"I promise," I said as I hugged her again. I promised every time, and every time I broke that promise.

This went on for an entire year. Barbara never turned me in when I hurt or killed someone. Since I had her around, I used little to no caution and so she was always left to clean up after me, telling herself this would be the last time but not meaning it. She took care of the dirty work and planted evidence that pointed away from me so I was never caught.

I could see how the guilt was eating away at her sanity. She knew I needed to be stopped, but she didn't want to see me hurt. Her mother's instinct was too strong, I was like a son to her, and she didn't want anything bad to happen to me. She only became more sympathetic to me after they started putting me on different drugs, and she hated seeing me in pain after the shock treatments. I became violently ill, and she was there to help me through it.

"There, there, Mal. You're going to get better soon," she said as I heaved my guts up into the toilet. I finally finished and laid down on the floor, feelings like I'd just had my insides squeezed out of me. She made me get up and helped me walk back to the bed.

"These drugs are making you so sick, and this illness is only making you thinner. You were already skinny, but now you're wasting away. You must eat more, and you need to stay hydrated. If they keep you on these pills, they may do irreversible damage."

"It's a good thing I have you to take care of me, huh? No one else will, not even me."

"I'm going to rectify that."

She took my pillow and fluffed it, but she noticed something strange inside it. She reached her hand in pulled it out, and she dropped it on the floor and screamed.

"Why is there a brain in your pillow?!"

"Don't worry," I said with a cough. "I got it from the morgue, it's not fresh."

"Oh thank goodness. Why do you have it, though? How did you get to the morgue?"

"I went through the door. And I took it because I wanted to."

She knew she wasn't getting any more answers out of me than that. "I'm taking this back, no more field trips to the morgue."

"Whatever you say, Barbara."

Even in that state, I didn't stop hurting people, and she forgave me every time. She was a total sucker. I wanted to see what she would do if I pushed her far enough, and one night, it finally happened, but things played out differently than I had expected.

She brought me my dinner as usual, a bowl of chicken noodle soup. She left without saying a word. I ate three spoonfuls and then put the bowl down. A few minutes later I started to feel light-headed. I became sick to my stomach and I vomited on the floor. As I was lying on the floor, I realized that Barbara had poisoned me.

The poison, combined with the psychoactive drug I was on, produced a strange effect. I felt like I was outside my body. I was still in control, but I felt like I was watching it move, instead of moving it myself. I watched as I escaped my cell for the last time. I passed by Barbara, who was lying on the floor dying. It was only because of her that no one caught me, everyone was trying to help her and they didn't notice me as I passed by. She must have poisoned herself when she poisoned me. I must not have eaten enough of the soup to do me in. All I could think was that this stupid woman couldn't even kill someone right. I laughed at that, how pathetic and gullible she was.

I ran up the stairs until I came to the top floor, and I opened a window and stepped out on the ledge. In that moment, I was sure that if I jumped, the others would die and I would be the only one left in the mind. I wasn't an idiot, I knew that it would never work, but in the state I was in it seemed perfectly logical.

I was about to jump, when I was suddenly forced back. I can only guess survival instinct kicked in and their chains were broken. I lost control of the body and Svetlana took over. She got us out of that hospital and got far away from it as Manitoba and Vito grabbed me. I struggled, I kicked and tried to squirm out of their hold, but in my weakened state it was no good. Manitoba got me in a choke-hold, and Vito punched me in the face and then grabbed my legs.

"_This must be it, I'm finally waking up. It's almost over, I'm almost free_," said Mike, sounding so relieved.

"_If you do this, things will go back to the way they were. The world bows down to me, I'm the only one who can keep you all safe, you're nothing without me."_

"_Shut up, Mal,"_ said Manitoba. _"No one's interested in anything you have to say."_

"_We'll see how you like being chained up,"_ said Vito.

But just before they sealed me in, as my final act to show them all who was really king in here, I took the remainder of Mike's memories, every single one, and it nearly killed me. Now Mike would have no idea where he came from or what his past had been like. This was a mercy in a way, he would never have to face those horrible memories again. I would bear them in his place, they would torment me for eternity, instead of him. But at the same time, how terrible to not know who you really are. As if Mike wasn't already a big enough freak, being an amnesiac would only make it worse. What kind of life could he lead like this? I couldn't wait to watch him fall.

To take all those terrible memories at once was excruciating. The weight of them was crippling, they were too much to bear, but I bore them regardless. Mike screamed, this was painful for him too, but it was over in an instant, and he was now a blank slate. This was the last time I would ever help Mike. I no longer felt any guilt or any need to protect him. He was on his own, and he now had a very powerful enemy.

I left Mike with just one memory of me, so he would know I existed. It was the memory of when I stabbed the guard between the eyes with the fork. I gave him this memory so that he would know what I was like, and that I could take down anyone who dared cross him. It was a vague memory, easily forgotten unless he was specifically thinking of me. Someday he would remember me, I would make sure of that.

They chained me to a boulder in Mike's mind. They didn't even have the decency to imprison me in my tower, they just left me out here.

"_I'm going to escape, you can't keep me locked away forever. You'll regret this when I'm free,"_ I growled.

"_You're never getting out, ya scaly crocodile."_

I watched as they took Mike, who looked so very weak, and put him back in control.

"_We're gonna be all right, you hear me, mate?"_

"_Don't screw this up, bro."_

"_Get a move on, I'm not gettin' any younger!"_

Mike was in no way ready to take back control. Being chained up so long had left him weak and confused, and a lot had changed since he'd last been in the driver's seat. Not to mention the body was still drugged, so he had that clouding his brain.

"Where am I?" he asked himself.

Before him was an open road. It was a dirt road, and it was empty. Having nowhere else to go, he walked along it, shivering from the cold night air. Clouds filled the sky and rain poured down, along with thunder and lightning. Mike needed shelter, but he was lost. All he could do was hope that this road led to somewhere good, but it just seemed to stretch on forever.

He kept walking down that road for two days, starving, dehydrated, and freezing after the sun went down. The body had had no sleep for two years, I might be able to function perfectly without it but Mike needed it. He felt hopeless; he had nowhere to go and no one to look after him. Was he to die out here?

His body became so exhausted that he could barely walk without tripping over his own feet. He kept stumbling and falling in the dirt, he would be crawling soon. He knew he shouldn't let himself sleep, it would be too dangerous out here. But he couldn't fight the numbing fatigue and he fell to the ground by the road, and fell asleep almost instantly.

When he later awoke, it was to the concerned voice of a woman asking, "Is he dead?"

"No, he's breathing."

Mike felt a hand turn him over onto his back. His eyes shot open and he screamed, he panicked and tried to run away but a man grabbed him by the hand and wouldn't let go. It was nighttime, and the only source of light was from the headlights of the couple's car. Mike wouldn't be able to see where he was going, but that didn't occur to him.

"Hey little fella, don't be scared, we're not going to hurt you. Are you lost?"

Mike wouldn't answer and kept trying to pull his hand free so he could get out of here.

"What's your name?" the man continued. "Where do you live? Who are your parents, do you know their phone number?"

Mike stopped trying to free himself because it was no use, but he still wouldn't talk to them. He was scared out of his wits, too scared to even speak. But even if he could speak, he had no answers to give them. The man and woman didn't need an answer though, it was clear that this child desperately needed help.

"Let's take him to the police station, they can help him there," said the woman. "Come with us, we'll help you."

Mike was unsure if he should go with them or not, but if he didn't he would be stuck on this road forever. Reluctantly, he followed them back to their car. There were already two children inside, a boy and a girl, both younger than him. Mike got in and hugged his knees to his chest and wouldn't look at anyone.

"Who's he, Mommy? Why's he riding with us?" asked the girl.

"He just needs a little help, he got lost."

"What's your name?" asked the boy.

Mike didn't answer.

"What's wrong? Can't you talk?"

Silence.

"Eric, leave him alone. Don't bother him," his mother scolded.

No one spoke the rest of the trip. They took him to a police station and reported that they had found him wandering down the road. The police asked him many questions to try to find out who he was or where he had come from, but Mike couldn't tell them anything so he became frustrated and upset, causing Chester to come out for a few minutes. When Mike took back control, no one asked him anymore questions. He was taken to the captain's office to wait. He held his arms around his stomach and stayed curled in on himself to protect himself. The family that had found him told Mike goodbye and left the station as soon as the report was complete.

I recollect on all these events nearly every day. I try to erase them from my memory, I try to not think about them, but the memories assault me all the time. I suppose I deserve it, it's my curse to remember, to pay for my crimes. But if it is punishment, it's not very effective. I feel no remorse for my actions in the past, or for things I might do in the future. I am beyond caring.

There are times when I wish I was still Jake, when I wish I was still Mike's friend. These feelings are fleeting though, they never last long and quickly fade away. I like being Mal more than I ever liked being Jake. I prefer to destroy, rather than create. Chaos is my only love, and I intend to create as much chaos as possible in my time in this corrupt, dying world.

I knew that this station was just the gateway to one of two places: a foster home or an orphanage. Or, there was always the third option, the asylum again, if they realized how crazy he was. Wherever we were headed, I swore to take back control somehow, someday.

Next time, it would be permanent.

**Epilogue Part 1: Hell**

Their names were Victor Wise and Eleanor Stiletto.

Victor Wise grew up privileged, not rich, but not far off, either. He was the only son of an esteemed lawyer, and no one in the community had any doubts that he would follow in his footsteps and do great things.

Victor was a very intelligent, very handsome boy growing up. His family loved him very much and they raised him to always do right. He was always at the top of each class, no one could compete with him. He was also gifted physically, he led his football team to victory more than once. All that combined with his dark hair that never would lie completely flat, his dark skin tone, and his charming smile, every girl at school dreamed of him asking them out.

After high school, he went on to college to study law, as was expected of him. While in college, he proposed to the homecoming queen, and they were later married, once he had his degree. They gave birth to two beautiful twin children, and he became one of the most highly esteemed lawyers in Canada. Not only that, but he was also a deacon at his church and taught Sunday school to the teenage boys, and he even preached a sermon every now and again. He also had plans to run for mayor of their little town. He always treated his neighbors fairly, with dignity, honesty, and respect. He was the man mothers wanted their sons to grow up to be, and other men envied him. He was a pillar of the community and well-loved by everyone.

But there was a side to Victor that no one knew about. He was a textbook psychopath.

Eleanor Stiletto seemed normal enough, just slightly off. She was very pretty, did well in school, had a few friends, and she showed promise. But in her late teens, she developed schizophrenia. She would not go back to school out of paranoia, and her father didn't stop her. He was in a wheelchair and he had Alzheimer's, and so he couldn't force her to do anything. Everyone in town warned their children to stay away from strange Eleanor. They had seen her throw violent tantrums, and with her crazy behavior, they feared her.

Victor and Eleanor's lives intertwined on the night of his bachelor party. Eleanor was the stripper; Victor's friends thought it would be funny to bring in the crazy girl, and despite her insanity, she was still very beautiful.

That night, Victor slept with Eleanor, and none of his friends ever squealed on him. He forgot all about it until nine months later.

She came to see him on a rainy night, with their son in her hands. Fortunately for him, his wife was not home that night. He told her to get rid of it, and she almost did, but then he had another idea.

He sent her back home and promised her that if she told no one of this, he would make sure she lived comfortably. She agreed, and she kept her promise.

Eleanor named the baby Michael, but called him Mike. Though she loved him, she had episodes where she would hurt him. Never physically, but she would forget to feed him or clean him. She would leave him alone for extended periods of time and ignore his cries. Sometimes she would neglect him for days. Her father lived with them, but he was in no physical or mental shape to care for a child.

When Mike was older, but still just a toddler, Victor started visiting. Mike learned quickly to fear him and to hide when he came. Victor would sometimes make up excuses to hurt him, but in reality, he didn't need one. He always found him wherever he was hiding, and would leave bruises and cuts to remember him by after he left.

He kept Eleanor and Mike around because with them, he had total power and control. He didn't love anyone or anything, but he acted kind and loving to his wife and children and he had a great marriage. He used Eleanor and Mike as a means to blow off steam and assert his power and authority. He was living the best of both worlds.

Victor was never drunk when he abused Mike. He didn't like the feeling of loss of control, and he wanted to have complete control at all times, so he almost never drank any alcohol. So every time he hit Mike, or kicked him, or broke a bone, he knew exactly what he was doing, and he enjoyed every second of it.

Eleanor often locked Mike away because she felt that if he spent enough time alone it would make him into a good boy. Nevermind that he always tried to do right, something would always set her off.

Eleanor was like a toy to Victor, and he always got her to do whatever he wanted. He made her think they were married, and she secretly started referring to herself as Eleanor Wise, and did the same with Mike. She loved Victor, she thought he was perfect. He didn't hurt her, and when he abused their children, she either didn't see it or thought they deserved it. By her, he had two more children, but Eleanor killed them both as children.

She killed her daughter because she started to cry one night. The baby almost never cried, but this one time was enough to set her off, and she poisoned her. She told Mike she was sick and he tried to nurse her back to health like he had done for Jake in the past, but there was nothing he could do. She buried the girl herself outside.

One day, while Mike was locked away in the broom closet, a man passing through town saw Jake playing outside and noticed that he looked like he had been badly hurt, and his marks looked intentional. He called social services and they came over a few days later. Mike was in preschool, and Eleanor put on her best dress and dressed Jake in clothes to cover his marks and bruises. The house was already neat because Mike cleaned up to try to keep her happy, and when they came inside Eleanor was able to put on a good enough show to convince them that everything was fine. They praised Eleanor on being such a good mother and left, but in her paranoia she believed it was just a ruse and they would come for her son and take him. That same night, as he was playing in the tub, she drowned him and told Mike it was an accident, but that he was safe now. She had him bury him under the swimming pool. Why she didn't murder Mike as well was a mystery, not even she knew why.

The loss of his siblings, compounded with everything else, caused Mike to develop Dissociative Identity Disorder. This only gave his father more reason to abuse him, and his mother locked him away even longer. Victor assumed the boy had inherited his mother's insanity; it never occurred to him that the boy might have been born normal, or that he was one of the causes of his disorder.

When Mike turned six, he went to school along with the other children his age. He never spoke of his home life, because his father had warned him not to. Though he was very shy and quiet, he tried to befriend the other children. He made a few friends, but none of them were close friendships. The teacher noticed the bruises and the broken bones that he often had, but she knew little boys were wild and liked to climb trees and play rough, so she assumed these were all the results of accidents. Especially with an imagination like his, there was no keeping him from pulling dangerous stunts. When she asked him how he had been hurt, he always confirmed her beliefs by passing off his injuries as accidents. She saw no reason to investigate his home life, not even when he came in one day and cried out whenever anything touched his leg. Mike said he had been bitten by a stray dog, when really his pant leg hid a burn from a flat-iron.

His teacher wasn't the only blind person in town. Most people, the police included, didn't know what to make of Eleanor and so they treated her like you would treat a bee: Leave her alone and maybe she'll leave you alone. They suspected things might not be right in that house, but no one wanted to get involved. She usually stayed under police radar, and whenever they did investigate, Victor had already told her what to do to relieve their suspicions. No one looked harder at her or her son than they had to.

People automatically assumed Mike would be just like his mother, and that was another reason they looked the other way. They tolerated Eleanor and Mike, and tried to pretend they didn't exist. No one in town knew that Mike had MPD, they just thought he was strange. His father could have put the pieces together and figured it out, but he never cared enough to. It wouldn't have made a difference, anyway. He always assumed that Mike was either born crazy or he would become crazy, so his odd behavior was not unexpected.

When people saw Mike playing outside, they wondered who his father was. He didn't get his dark skin tone from his mother, that was for sure, and he had a certain resemblance to Victor Wise. But these rumors were always quickly stomped out, no one ever doubted Victor's loyalty and integrity.

Victor believed that Mike was too weak and cowardly to ever stand up to him, even after he grew up he knew he'd always have power over him. Little did he know that by tormenting and abusing Mike, he was creating his own worst enemy.

The personality called Mal, though he was not called that at that time, tried to protect Mike from his parents, and ultimately, he succeeded. He burned their house to the ground one night while Victor was staying with them, and by the time they woke up, it was too late to escape. They were engulfed in flames, and they died agonizing deaths.

But Mal accomplished something he had never set out to do: he unintentionally destroyed Victor's reputation by killing him. The firemen and the police found two bodies, and they were able to identify these bodies as Eleanor Stiletto and Victor Wise.

The old rumors about Victor being involved with Eleanor came back full force, and this time, they could not be stopped. They never found the body of Michael Stiletto, and so the community assumed he was the one who started the fire. He had always acted strangely, they assumed he had his mother's mental illness, and so it made sense for him to be the culprit.

But what was Victor Wise doing in that house that night? He should have been in his own home, with his wife and children. If he had, he would have still been alive. The more they thought about it, the more they believed that he was the father of Eleanor's baby. But that would mean he had been cheating on his wife and had an illegitimate child, and with the town psycho no less. People had also often wondered if there was abuse taking place in that house, had Victor been the one hurting Mike? Was that why Mike had set the house on fire, to escape? Victor would never do such a thing as that. Or would he?

For the first time, people started to wonder if maybe they should have taken a closer look at what had been going on in that house. Maybe they should have helped Mike, instead of letting it get this far. Maybe Mike hadn't been crazy like they had assumed. Whether he was or not, they finally felt guilty for never stepping in and doing something. They'd always felt sorry for him, but never sorry enough to do anything to help him.

The name Victor Wise became a taboo in the community. They had trusted this man and looked up to him, never doubted him for a second. He was held to a higher standard than everyone else, he was supposed to be a pillar of the community, a leader in the church, but he had brought shame and disgrace down on his family.

So Mal succeeded in two ways. He freed Mike from his parent's abuse, and he destroyed Victor's good name in the process.

So, in a way, justice prevailed.

**End of Part 1**


	9. The Silent Boy

**Part 2: The Skinner Family**

It was the middle of summer. Jack and Holly Skinner had just gotten back from a cruise with their friends and were getting ready for bed when they got the phone call that would change their lives forever.

"Why must vacations always end? It's not right," said Jack as he put his suitcase on the bed and started unpacking.

"It was so nice of Kevin and Tonya to invite us to go on that cruise with them, I needed that," said Holly as she unpacked her suitcase beside him. "Devon was so nice, and their new baby is so cute, don't you think?"

"Cute? The kid looks exactly like Kevin, I don't see what's so cute about that," he said with a laugh.

"We should go on cruises more often, maybe we could take Dad and Wendy. I know Dad must miss the sea since he sold his boat. Then again, I don't know if he's really the party cruise type."

"It's just as well, the man still hates my guts, and we've been married for nearly a decade."

"Your grandmother still thinks you shouldn't have married me, so we're even."

"I don't think Nana would want to go on a cruise anyway, she'd be bored to death unless they let her steer the ship, and she's what now, five hundred years old? So I guess it would just be you and me."

"Maybe not, if we're lucky. We haven't had any foster kids for several weeks now, one is bound to show up at our door sooner or later. What do you hope the next one is, boy or girl?"

"As long as they get my jokes, I'm not picky. And I do hope they're not as much a handful, those twins we had last time brought no end of trouble. But hopefully they'll wait until after we've had a good night's sleep, relaxing sure is tiring. And tomorrow it's back to the real world and we get to go back to work."

"Don't set the stove on fire at the restaurant."

"I'm not going to set the stove on fire, that was one time."

"Our third date."

"You married me anyway, and now everything I make is superb."

"I can't argue there."

They finished unpacking and then they dressed in their pajamas and went to bed. The second they pulled the blanket over their heads, the phone rang. Jack answered it and said, "Hello?"

"This is Lieutenant Bishop with the police. We were given your number by local foster care services. We have a child here that we need someone to keep for a few days until we can find him a permanent home. Can you take him in? Preferably tonight?"

"We'll be right there." Jack hung up the phone.

"Who was it, honey?" Holly asked with a yawn.

"Looks like the foster kid you were talking about couldn't wait. They've got a kid down at the station and they've asked us to take care of him for a while until they can find him a place to stay."

"Oh, how wonderful. Let me change out of my pajamas and let's go."

They both got out of bed and changed into regular clothes quickly. Jack fixed his thick brown hair and put on his glasses, and Holly brushed her short blonde hair back. She put on lipstick and mascara, but didn't bother with anymore makeup since it was so late. She grabbed her purse and they dashed out the door and drove to the police station.

Despite the late hour, the Skinners were more than happy to go meet this child. They had always wanted a child, but they'd been told years ago by doctors that they couldn't have one of their own. They had instead become foster parents, and they were usually the first ones called when a child was brought in and needed a temporary place to stay. They liked all of the children they looked after, but none of them were the right fit and they'd gone on to live with other families. Sometimes they worried that no child would ever be the right one.

Once they were at the station, they met with a woman from foster services. Her name was Zita Carmichael, and they knew her well from other cases.

"Before you meet this boy, I need to tell you some things to warn you."

"Warn us?" said Holly.

"This child presents a bit of a problem-"

"Zita, we've taken in kids from abusive homes before, we know the drill," said Jack. "We don't need a warning."

"That's part of the problem. We have no idea where this boy came from."

"What do you mean?" asked Holly.

"He was found alone on a road outside of town, he was picked up by another family and brought here. Thank goodness it was a good family, anyone could have found him out there."

"So he's a runaway?"

"We assume, but he won't tell us. He hasn't spoken a word since he was brought in."

"Oh, the poor dear," said Holly.

"But this isn't what I wanted to warn you about. We believe he might have Multiple Personality Disorder. Have you heard of that?"

"I've heard of it, but I don't know much about it," said Holly. "It means he has more than one personality, right?"

"Yes, at its most basic level."

"But if you only found him tonight, and he won't speak, how could you possibly already know that? It takes days, even weeks to diagnose someone," said Holly.

"Of course it's not a definitive diagnosis, he would need to see a specialist for that. But he has shown signs of having the condition. An hour after he was brought in, he hunched over and spoke in a tone of voice that didn't belong to a child. That was the only time he spoke, and afterwards, he went back to being silent, as though nothing had happened. When he was talking, he didn't give us any useful information."

"Now, that doesn't sound like a mental disorder to me. The boy probably just has an overactive imagination, nothing to worry about."

"Mr. Skinner-"

"Can we see the boy now?" he asked.

Zita nodded and took them to where Mike was being held. Along the way, Holly whispered to Jack, "We should listen to her. If they think he has something wrong with him, we need to know about it before we take him in."

"Do you honestly believe a person could have more than one personality?" he whispered back. "I mean, how does that happen? It's just another ploy by the drug companies to make money by selling drugs to people for conditions that don't exist. The boy's probably just got some quirks, and who doesn't?"

The boy was sitting in the captain's office. His eyes were pointed at his lap, and in his hands was a rubix cube, half completed.

"Hello, Captain Fitzgerald," said Jack.

"Hello, Skinners. I had this rubix cube laying on my desk, I thought I'd give him something to do while he waited. I couldn't put a dent in it, but he's already halfway done. He's a smart one, that's for sure. I'll let you have some privacy."

The captain left, and Zita said, "Hi there, remember me?"

The boy nodded but didn't look up.

"I've brought in some people for you to meet, their names are Jack and Holly Skinner. Is it okay if they talk to you for a while?"

He nodded yes, and Zita said, "I'll leave you alone for a few minutes, but I'll be back soon. You have nothing to be afraid of with them." Zita left the room.

"Hi, I'm Holly, it's a pleasure to meet you," said Holly gently as she knelt down on her knees. "Could you give us your name?"

No response.

"That's okay, you'll talk when you're ready, won't ya buddy?" Jack got down on one knee so that they were on the same level. "I'm Jack, by the way. Not Jack in the Box or the Jack who climbed the Beanstalk, just plain old Jack."

Still nothing. He completed the rubix cube and set it on the table, and then put his arms around his knees and buried his face in them, as if to hide.

Jack and Holly looked at each other, then back at him. They had never had a kid ignore them completely like this, at least not before announcing they were going to ignore them. There was the possibility that he was unable to speak, but they knew it was more likely that he was too frightened to speak. They could sense the fear radiating from him, they'd never encountered a child before who was this scared.

They took a good look at him. He was wearing all white clothes that were splotched with dirt. His feet were bare and scratched from walking so long without shoes. Every visible part of him was filthy, and his hair was long and out of control, it reached down to his shoulders. His body looked haggard and frail. His hair covered one of his eyes, and the one they could see had a dark, bruise-like shadow under it. He was tall, but thin as a pencil. They had taken in kids before who were in bad shape, but none as bad as this. They both wondered what his story was.

"Hey, do you like chocolate? I just so happen to have some with me." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar. "Would you like it?"

The boy finally looked up and eyed the candy, but quickly put his head back down.

"Well, if you don't want it, there's no sense in letting it go to waste. Holly, would you like it?"

The boy reached up and snatched it from his hands, tore it open, and ate it ravenously. Holly wondered when he'd last had anything to eat. After he finished he curled up and hid his face again.

"I thought you looked hungry. Do you feel better now?"

He nodded.

"Good, good. Nothing makes you feel better than sugar. Now that you're feeling better, I have a question to ask you: Do you want to stay here at the police station?"

He shook his head no.

"Yeah, I didn't think so. The policemen here are nice, but the place really isn't made for sleepovers. Tell you what, how would you like to come stay with us, just for a few nights? We have an empty room with a nice, warm, soft bed, and you've got to be exhausted. We don't have many toys, but we have a few you could play with. And you'd be staying with the head chef from Pierre's restaurant downtown, I'll make you your favorite meal, how does that sound?"

He didn't respond.

"Please come stay with us," said Holly. "We'd love to have you. We won't hurt you, we promise. We only want to keep you safe, I promise nothing bad will happen to you while you're with us."

Very slowly, the boy uncurled himself. He looked up, but he still wouldn't make eye contact. He stood to his feet and nodded.

"Wonderful! Now, we have a couple papers to sign, but then we'll go straight home, okay?"

He nodded again, and then followed them out of the room.

Jack and Holly signed the papers as quickly as possible. As they were leaving, the captain passed them by and said, "Take care, son."

They took the boy home, and he stayed silent the entire way. He stared out the window, and they wondered what he was thinking about.

They reached their house and went inside. The walls were painted light green and the couches were tan plush. In the center was a coffee table with red and orange lilies in a vase. There was a fireplace, and above that a mantle with snowglobes and an antique vase.

Jack said, "Now, normally we'd give you the grand tour of the house, but you look like you could really use some Z's, so we'll save that for tomorrow. Your room's right up here."

They showed him to his room. The walls were painted white, and there was a window, toybox, a bedside table with a lamp, closet, and a dresser. But what really caught his attention was the bed.

He didn't move, as if waiting for permission.

"Go ahead, get in bed. Bounce around, start a pillow fight, whatever you want, it's all yours," said Jack.

Tentatively, he got in the bed and under the blanket. He still looked very nervous, but his rigid shoulders relaxed a little.

Holly went to tuck him in, like she had done for their other foster children in the past. But when she touched him, he flinched and covered his face with his hands.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Holly backed off. It was all she could do in a situation like this.

They both waited in the doorway to see what he would do. After a few seconds, he uncovered his face.

"Well, I guess we'll see you in the morning, all right? Goodnight, sport," said Jack.

"Sweet dreams, dear," said Holly.

Just before they shut the door, they heard him say, in above barely above a whisper, "Mike."

"What was that?" asked Jack.

"My name. It's Mike." He still wouldn't look at them, but this was progress.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mike. Sleep well, okay?"

They shut the door. The bed was marvelous, especially after two days of walking. It was like sleeping on a bed of clouds. The blanket was warm, and he had been so cold before. He was still frightened, but in this bed he could almost forget it.

He reflected on all the questions the police officers had asked him. Why couldn't he remember anything? Had something happened to him to cause this? Where did he come from, where was his home? Did he have a family out there somewhere, looking for him?

"Who am I?" he quietly asked himself.

Mike silently wondered about these people. They had taken him in, even though he was a complete stranger to them. He wondered how long they would let him stay, and where he would go next after he had to leave. They seemed nice, and though he didn't trust them yet, he wanted to.

As they were on their way to their own room, Holly said, "He's very handsome, even with all that dirt on him."

"And smart, too. He finished that rubix's cube in no time flat, I can barely make out the instructions to Monopoly."

"He seems sweet. Timid and scared, but sweet."

"And normal, did you see that? Nothing weird happened, nothing wrong with him. No offence to Zita, but I think she was making a mountain out of a molehill. Just about everyone in the higher-ups does. Mike's just fine."

"I can't imagine what he must have gone through to have ended up here like this. The shape he's in, that doesn't just happen, someone caused it."

"Maybe he'll tell us and we can help him. I hope he can come to trust us and open up."

"I like him."

"Me too."

"It's too bad we'll have to give him up in a few days."

"Well, it could always take longer than that. A few weeks, maybe."

"Just until they find him a good home."

They were both silent after that, pondering.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Mike slept in very late. Jack left for work, and Holly didn't try to wake him up, he'd looked so tired the night before.<p>

She called in at work and let them know she wouldn't be coming in today. She then called the library downtown, she had a friend who worked there.

"Hey Carla, it's Holly."

"Hey Holly! I'm glad you're back, did you have fun on your trip? I can't talk long, in case someone calls wanting to check out a book."

"That's actually why I'm calling, I need to check out a book."

"Oh, and here I thought you wanted to chat."

"Later, when you're not at work."

"You'll have to make this up to me, you know. So, what are you looking for? Mystery? Fantasy? Romance?"

"Mental disorders."

"…Um, that's not what you usually check out."

"I know, but I'm… trying something new. I watched a movie last night with a character who had Multiple Personality Disorder, and I just wanted to see if their portrayal of the disorder was accurate."

"Since when are you interested in this stuff? Don't you think crazy people are weird?"

"Just because a person has a mental disorder, that doesn't automatically make them crazy. Now, do you have a book on MPD?"

"Let me look, I'll put you on hold."

A minute or two later, Carla came back on the line. "We've got one, but it's pretty long, and it doesn't really look like a fun read. Are you sure about this? Wouldn't you rather have a romance novel?"

"No thanks. Could you bring the book here? Are you very busy?"

"Well, I guess I can, but why? Can't you come pick it up?"

"Jack and I have a boy staying with us, he's sleeping now, and I don't want him to wake up to an empty house."

"Oh, how sweet. Is he from another one of those abusive homes? Oh, that's so sad."

"We suspect he is, but we don't know for sure. He hasn't told us where he came from."

"Do you think he's 'the one?'"

"We don't know yet, we only took him in last night. We don't want to make any hasty decisions."

"You two need to stop being so picky and just pick one already. If you keep waiting you'll be in a retirement home before you have a kid."

"We just want to make sure whichever kid we choose will be the right fit. None of us will be happy if we choose the wrong one. Maybe after we pick the first one, adopting more down the line will be easier. We'd like to adopt at least five, we both want a big family."

"You know, the rest of us don't get to pick, we just make one and hope it turns out right. At least you two get some kind of say in the matter. But if you keep turning the stork away, he might stop coming."

"You're worse than my own mom was, she was afraid she would never have grandkids. It's too bad she'll never get to meet them when they do come."

"Whether you decide to keep the cutie or not, I want to meet him. But can't this book wait until later?"

"I'd like to read it as soon as possible."

"Why is it so important?"

"Please Carla, just bring it to me? I'm just really interested, okay?"

"All right, all right. Let me know if it's any good, but it'll probably be a snore-fest."

Carla hung up and brought her the book ten minutes later. She thought it was weird that Holly suddenly had an interest in psychology, but didn't say anything.

Holly sat down on the couch with her book and coffee and started reading. She normally wasn't interested in books like this, but if Mike really did have MPD, she needed to understand it. She hoped he didn't, and that this book was just a waste of time.

The book was a few hundred pages long, but Holly was a fast reader, and she had the book finished by the time Mike woke up that afternoon. He came down the steps rubbing his bleary eyes. He still had those deep, dark shadows under his eyes, it was clear he needed a lot more sleep. Holly quickly shut the book when she heard him.

"Good morning, Mike!" Holly greeted him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," he said with a yawn. "Can I have breakfast, please?"

"I'm afraid you missed breakfast, but how about we just switch breakfast and lunch today. What would you like to eat?"

"I don't know, anything," he shrugged.

"How about French toast sticks? Does that sound good?"

"I've never had that before."

"Well then, you're in for a treat."

Holly made his breakfast while he sat at the table, looking down at his hands. She had learned a lot about MPD from the book, but the thing that stuck out the most was the number one cause: extreme childhood trauma. Judging by his behavior, this was very likely. But that didn't mean he had MPD. She had yet to see any evidence for herself, and Jack could be right. Many children had overactive imaginations, and they gave up their imaginary friends over time. But just in case, she would have Jack read the book, too.

"How old are you, Mike?" she asked.

"Eight."

Holly took another look at him. There was no way he was eight, but if he said so… "You're pretty tall for an eight year old."

He just shrugged again.

"Where do you come from, Mike? What were you doing wandering down that road?"

"I don't know," he replied, looking very worried. "All I remember is that family finding me, I barely remember that road at all. I don't know where I came from, or who my parents are, or even my last name. Why is that?"

"It certainly raises a lot of questions. I wouldn't worry about it though, maybe you'll remember later. You've been through a lot, it's normal to not remember things after you've been through an ordeal."

She gave him his breakfast. At first he was hesitant about eating it, but after the first bite, he dug in and scarfed it down.

"You like that, huh?" she said with a smile.

"It was very good."

"You could use a bath, you'll feel better once you've washed all that dirt off. And I think we have some clothes upstairs that you can change into. We keep them on hand for our foster kids. Let's go look."

Mike followed Holly upstairs into his room. She noticed that he had made the bed without having to be told, which impressed her. She went through the dresser drawers and pulled out jeans and a blue t-shirt.

"Go take your bath and then put these on."

"Thank you," he said sincerely, meeting her eyes for the first time. He couldn't believe her kindness and generosity, she really wanted to help him. All she had done was let him stay with her and her husband, feed him, let him get clean and give him fresh clothes, but after everything he had been through, it meant more to him than words could say.

"My pleasure."

She showed him the bathroom and where the soap was, and then left him alone to bathe in privacy. Downstairs, Holly heard a racket coming through the floorboards. She assumed Mike was one of those people who liked to sing in the shower. She did, too.

A half hour later, Mike came down the stairs. His hair was still wet, but it wasn't in his face anymore and so she could see both eyes. The dark circles under them were more pronounced than they had been under the dirt. She could also better see his face, and how gaunt it looked. The clothes she had given him were too short and baggy on him.

"Maybe we should go shopping, get some clothes that will fit you."

He shook his head. "I don't want to go out there yet."

"Okay, we won't. We'll stay here for now." She noted that his hair was all over the place and was in desperate need of a haircut, but scissors around his head would probably scare him. She would wait until he was more comfortable around her.

"Where's Jack?" asked Mike.

"He had to go to work, but he'll be back later. For now, how about we do something fun?"

"Like what?"

"Well, we have a pretty impressive movie collection. Have you ever seen Total Warriors?"

He shook his head no.

"It's an action flick, one of my favorites. Nothing scary, just fun and explosions. Come on, I'll make some popcorn and we'll have a movie day."

Holly made popcorn and put on the movie. While she was waiting on the popcorn to pop, she looked out the window and saw the stray cat that wandered through the neighborhood. It was a calico cat, and it came by their house every now and again. She went outside and brought her in.

"Hey Mike, would you like to meet Zelda?" she asked.

Mike turned to look. His face lit up when he saw the cat. "You have a pet cat?"

"She's not ours, she just comes by to visit every so often. Everyone in the neighborhood calls her something different because she kind of belongs to everyone, but Jack and I call her Zelda because when she meows it sounds like she's saying Zelda."

"Can I hold her?"

"Sure you can. Now, she can be timid at first and she's not the most trusting cat, but once she gets to know you she doesn't put up too much fuss."

She handed her to Mike and he gently held her in his arms. The cat struggled against him at first, but then relaxed and started to purr as he stroked her fur.

"I've never seen her trust someone so quickly before. She must sense that you're a sweetheart and won't do her any harm."

Mike smiled and sat down with the cat on the couch. He cuddled her as Holly got the popcorn. She sat by him on the couch, but made sure not to touch him.

Mike curled himself up in a ball on the couch, but as the movie progressed he became more and more relaxed, mostly due to Zelda. He even smiled at some parts of the movie, but Holly pretended not to notice. After the movie ended, she let him pick the next one. He chose another action movie and loved it. They kept watching movies and taking turns choosing until Jack came home.

"Honey, your prince has returned!" he announced when he came in.

"More like court jester," Holly whispered to Mike, making him smile.

"What have you been doing today?" he asked. "How've you been, Mike?"

Mike was too shy to say anything, so Holly answered for him. "We've been having a movie marathon. We had a blast, didn't we, Mike?"

He nodded.

"That's great, sport. Hey, want to help me fix dinner? We're having spaghetti and garlic bread, and I could use some help in the kitchen."

"Okay," said Mike. He set Zelda down on the couch and followed Jack to the kitchen. The kitchen was painted red and was always fully equipped to make any meal.

Jack cooked the meat and boiled the noodles, and he let Mike mix in the sauce and seasonings. He also let Mike prepare the garlic bread and set the table.

As they were waiting for the spaghetti to cook, Zelda started scratching at the door.

"Looks like Zelda has decided to move on," said Jack.

"Why doesn't she want to stay? Can't we keep her?" asked Mike.

"Zelda's a free spirit who won't settle down for anyone. She's always on the move. I'd love to keep her, but she wouldn't ever be happy cooped up with just one family."

"I wish she would stay," said Mike quietly.

"Don't worry, she'll be back. And in the meantime, you can look forward to seeing her again."

Mike opened the door and let her out. "I hope she comes back soon."

Once the food was ready, they all sat down at the table. He was about to dig in when Jack stopped him.

"Hold your horses there, tiger. We need to say grace first." They closed their eyes and Jack said, "Dear God, thank you for this food, and thank you for bringing Mike into our lives. It's an honor to have him in our home. Please guide him and help him find a good, loving home. Amen."

They started eating. Mike didn't eat as ravenously as he had before, but he still ate quickly.

"You're going to get a stomachache if you keep eating so fast," said Holly with a smile.

"Everything tastes so good." He couldn't remember ever having food like this.

"Finally, someone who appreciates my cooking," said Jack.

"I appreciate your cooking, why do you think I married you? With you around, I don't have to cook," said Holly.

"Some people marry for love, others for money, my wife married me for my cooking. So romantic."

Mike smiled at their banter. He finished his plate and took it to the sink.

After all the dishes were in the sink, Holly started washing them. Mike came over and asked, "Can I help?"

"I'm fine, dear. There aren't that many dishes, you run along and play."

"But I want to help."

This was different. While all their previous foster children had been good kids, none of them had ever volunteered for chores.

"Well, if you really want to, you can dry."

Together, they got the dishes done in no time. When they went back into the living room, they found Jack flipping through channels on the TV.

"Hey Jack, can I talk to you for a minute?" asked Holly.

"Sure. Sport, you can pick whatever you like on TV," said Jack. He handed him the remote, and he followed Holly back into the kitchen.

"What's this about, Hol?" he asked.

"I got a book from the library today about MPD, and it's very interesting. I think you should read it."

"Holly, what did I tell you before? There is no such thing as Multiple Personality Disorder, Zita was overreacting. Besides, what has Mike done since he's been here to even suggest there's something wrong with him? Sure he's shy, but so are most kids in his situation."

"But just in case-"

"Holly, I'm not wasting my time on a psychology book. Mike is fine, end of story."

They went back into the living room and found Mike sitting on the couch hugging his knees to his chest, channel surfing.

"I don't know what to put on, you pick," he said as he handed the remote back to Jack.

They all sat down on the couch. There really wasn't anything good on, so Jack put on a recording of the Olympics.

"I don't know how people do it," said Jack as they watched the triathlon. "I could barely run one lap around the gym in high school."

The triathlon ended, and the next event started: gymnastics. The second the first competitor started, Mike gasped and leapt off the couch.

"Mike, what is it, sweetie?"

"I am not Mike, I am Svetlana, Olympic gold medalist!" he said in a voice that was higher than his normal one.

"Um, Mike, what are you doing?" asked Jack as he did a flip off the coffee table and onto a chair. He held onto the chair by his hands and raised his legs up in the air.

"Showing up ze competitors on ze silly television! Zey have no class, no poise, no skill! Zis body has not been properly exercised in long time, but Svetlana vill soon fix zat! She is ze champion!"

Mike did flips all the way up and down the stairs, while Jack and Holly watched in confusion and bewilderment. He leapt off of every piece of furniture and cheered himself on in Russian.

"Still think Zita was overreacting?" Holly hissed.

"Where's that book you were talking about?"

Holly gave him the book and he rushed with it up the stairs. She followed as Mike, or Svetlana, they didn't know for sure, did a split. Holly checked downstairs every few minutes until Mike stopped flipping around. Over an hour passed before he became himself again.

"Jack, Holly? Where are you?" he asked, breathing heavily from all the exertion.

"Up here, sweetie," said Holly as she descended the stairs.

"Why did you leave? Weren't we going to watch the Olympics together?"

Holly realized that he had no memory of what had just happened. Rather than try to explain what had happened, she said, "Jack got a headache, and I was getting him medicine. How about we just go to bed for the night, okay?"

"Okay," said Mike, a little crestfallen.

She told him goodnight and went back to her room, where Jack was totally engulfed in the book.

"I'm going to make some calls, see if I can find anyone who specializes in child psychology. And I think he needs to see a regular doctor as well, to make sure he's healthy."

"Mm-hmm," said Jack as he turned a page.

"You know, you don't have to read the entire book tonight, you can finish it tomorrow."

"Uh-huh."

"I'd like to go to sleep, if that's okay with you. It's hard to sleep with a light shining in your face."

"Whatever you say, dear."

"I've decided to leave you for that hot weatherman on channel seven, the one with the blonde hair and beefy muscles. You know the one, he's got a voice like melted chocolate. We're going to be very happy together."

"That's nice."

Holly groaned and hit him with her pillow. He still didn't react, so she took the pillow and the blanket and went downstairs. Jack wasn't paying her any attention, he was too absorbed in that book. She'd never get to sleep in there tonight. But at least he was actually reading it. He wasn't much of a reader, and so this was almost surreal.

She went to sleep on the couch, wondering what was in store for Mike with a condition like this.


	10. Diagnosis

The next day, Mike slept past noon again.

"What time is it?" he asked Holly as he entered the living room where she was reading one of her romance novels. He stretched his arms above his head and yawned.

"Two o'clock."

"I'm sorry that I keep oversleeping."

"You look like you could use the extra sleep."

"But I lose half the day when I sleep this long. I'm going to try to wake up before noon tomorrow."

"I'll get you something to eat, and then would you like to go to the mall for some new clothes? We don't have to if you don't want to, but you'd be more comfortable in clothes that fit you."

Mike thought about it while she made him some scrambled eggs and toast.

"I guess we can go shopping," he said as she gave him his plate.

"All right then, while you eat I'm going to run over to a neighbor's house to borrow some shoes since you don't have any. I'll be right back."

After Mike finished eating and Holly got him some shoes, they drove to the mall. On the way there, they passed an old Victorian era style house.

"That's mine and Jack's dream house," she said as they passed it. "It's just like the one my grandmother had, I used to spend my summers there. It was my favorite place in the world. This one is a big fixer-upper, but it would be so beautiful once it's restored to its former glory. We've been saving up for it for years, someday we'll call it home."

"I'd love to live in a house like that," said Mike.

They went to the shoe store first, since the shoes they had borrowed were too small.

"How about these?" she said as she showed him a pair of red sneakers.

"I like them," he said. But then he put a hand to his head, like he had a headache. "I can't get those, Manitoba wants boots."

"Who's Manitoba?"

"One of my imaginary friends."

"We might get boots another day, but I was thinking we should get you something more comfortable, shoes for playing in."

She showed him several more pairs, but he turned them all down, because his imaginary friends didn't like them. They all wanted different types, styles, and colors. Finally, they settled on a pair of plain gray sneakers, and Holly let out a sigh of relief.

After they bought the shoes and left the store, they sat down on a bench so Mike could put the new shoes on.

"You know Mike, you don't have to do everything your imaginary friends tell you to do." She noticed that one of them was Svetlana, the personality who had appeared the night before. "I could tell you didn't really want these shoes. You should have ignored them and chosen for yourself."

"I don't want them to get upset or mad at me. They're my friends, I just want us to all get along. And these shoes aren't so bad, at least they aren't ballet shoes, or shoes with arch support."

"Well, when we go to the clothes store, you're picking whatever you want, okay?"

He didn't look convinced, but he nodded in agreement.

They went to the clothing store next. Holly paid attention to Mike as he looked through the different racks of clothes. If he showed interest in a shirt, but then chose another one that a little boy wouldn't normally pick, she would take the first shirt and put the other one back. Once both their arms were laden with t-shirts and jeans, Mike went to the fitting room.

"Try on the clothes and pick only the ones you love. I'll be looking around at the dresses until you finish, but I'll be close by, okay?"

"Okay."

Holly waited patiently for him to try on all the clothes. They had picked out a lot, so she knew he would be a while, but after fifteen minutes passed, she began to feel concerned.

She went back to the men's fitting room and called in, "Mike? Everything okay in there?"

No answer.

She went inside and passed another man going in.

"Hey, this is the men's fitting room, the women's is right next to this one."

"I'm just checking on my… on the boy I'm looking after."

She went by each stall, until she came to one with all the clothes they had picked out. Mike wasn't in there.

"Why would he have left?" she murmured to herself.

She left the fitting room and looked around the store for him, going in circles. With each passing second, she grew more and more worried. What if someone had taken him? What if he had run away?

"I'm looking for my son, he's this tall, has dark skin, about eight or ten years old. His name is Mike, have you seen him?" she asked a cashier, trying not to sound frantic.

Just as the cashier was about to send a message over the intercom for Mike, something caught the corner of her eye. She stopped her and went over to another boy, one she had passed before but now that she got a closer look, looked very familiar.

This boy had no shirt on, even though shirts were required to gain entrance to the store. His hair was slicked back, and he held himself with confidence. It was no wonder she hadn't recognized him at first, but this boy was Mike, no doubt about it. He was flirting with another cashier with a tiny waist, big bust, and a dark tan.

"Ayo babe, when you get off work? I'll take you on the ride of your life."

The cashier giggled. "You're a cute kid."

"Kid? Baby, I ain't no kid. I-"

"Mike! There you are, I was so worried."

She reached out to take his hand to get him out of here, but he snatched it away. "Hey pasty, I know you want some of the Vito, but you're not my type, know what I'm sayin'?"

"V-Vito? No, honey, it's me, Holly. Don't you recognize me?"

"I ain't your honey, you got me confused with someone else."

"Is he your kid?" asked the cashier.

"Sort of."

"Well, I guess you missed the sign on the door, but no shirt, no shoes, no service."

"Does this hot bod not make up for my lack of attire?"

"You don't got much of a bod, kid."

"Ayo, I'm workin' on it! You wait and see, pretty soon I'll have abs and everything."

"Mike, or Vito, whoever you are, we need to leave right now," said Holly, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

"I haven't even got her number yet!"

Just then, the manager approached them.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you and your son to leave."

"Hey, she ain't my mom!"

"Come on Vito, now!" said Holly through her teeth. She grabbed his hand and started pulling him out, but he snatched his hand out of hers and shoved her into the manager.

"You ain't the boss of me! No one tells me what to do!"

"I'm so sorry," she said to the manager, who was now furious.

She couldn't force Vito to come with her, so the manager called security and they were both escorted out with everyone staring at them. Vito yelled back to the cashier, "Call me!"

The guards deposited them outside and one said, "Learn to control your kid."

Holly tried to take Vito's hand again, but he shoved her away again and tried to go back into the mall. She was fed up with this, and she grabbed him around the chest and carried him to the car. Vito cussed at her and put up a fight, but she managed to force him into the car and she drove home as fast as she could, hoping Mike would come back on the way, but he didn't.

"You are outta control, lady!" said Vito once they got back home.

"Don't make me have to do that again, because I will!" said Holly angrily.

"I'm gonna go outside and work out, do not disturb."

Holly went inside and called Jack at work.

"Hey Hol. I can't talk long, I'm already sluggish from last night's reading frenzy, coffee is all that's keeping me alive today."

"Jack, I don't know if I can do this."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, look after Mike."

"Uh oh. What happened?"

"We were at the mall and everything was going well, but then Mike went to try on some new clothes and a new personality named Vito came out. I don't know how it happened, Mike went in and Vito came out. He refused to wear a shirt and he wouldn't stop hitting on one of the cashiers. The manager came and had us escorted out by security. I mean, I was already trying to get out of there, but I've never been kicked out of a store before! And then I had to carry him to the car and force him in, I feel terrible for having to do that to Mike, even if it wasn't technically him at the time. I have never been so humiliated in all my life. And to top it all off, I don't know how to get Mike back, so I'm stuck with Vito until he gets tired or something."

"I'm sorry Holly, I do not envy you there."

"First it was Svetlana, now Vito. How many more does he have in there?" she asked as she pulled at her hair in frustration. "Are they all as bad as Vito? And are they going to pop out every day? I have no idea what I'm doing here, the worst I'm used to from kids is when they won't do their chores, I'm way out of my league here! Neither of us have any experience with mental disorders, that book only talked about what MPD is, it didn't give any instructions on how to help someone who has it. I don't know how to help Mike deal with this, we've only had him for two days and I'm already failing. I'm just not cut out for caring for children with disabilities like this."

"You're not failing, this is only the second day. No one expects you to be an expert, you're doing your best. It won't be much longer, and then Zita will find him a permanent home. Next time, we'll try to get a child that's less… interesting."

"Okay, okay," said Holly, feeling a little better. "Come home as soon as you can."

"Sure thing."

Jack came home a few hours later, and Vito was still the one in control. Jack did a double-take when he saw him.

"You weren't kidding."

Jack went outside to try to talk to Vito. Vito was doing push-ups on the lawn.

"So, um, you're Vito, correct?"

"That's my name, don't wear it out."

"Well, it's a… pleasure to meet you."

"I'm sure it is."

"I'd like to talk to Mike, if you wouldn't mind."

"I do mind."

"I need to talk to him anyway."

"Anything you want to say to him you can say to me. I might pass the memo along to him."

"I'd prefer talking to him directly."

"He's not home right now."

"Will you be letting him back out anytime tonight?"

"Maybe after I finish my workout."

Jack left it that. He had no idea of how to bring Mike back, and so all he could do was hope that he would let him back sometime soon.

"Are you sure you don't know what brought Vito out?" he asked Holly when he went back inside. "I mean, it looks like Svetlana was triggered by the Olympics, Vito must have a trigger to."

"That's what I was thinking. I don't know what triggered him, but if we can figure it out, maybe we can keep him and the others in. No more Olympics."

They watched as Vito used a large rock in the backyard to bench-press with. He did several reps, and then finally let Mike have control again. He looked disoriented at first, and then he came back inside.

"How'd we get back here? We were at the mall, I was going to try on clothes… Did I fall asleep or something? Ow, why are my muscles so sore?"

"Yes, you fell asleep," said Holly as she plastered a smile onto her face. "I'll go out tomorrow and pick up your clothes."

That night, neither Jack nor Holly felt like cooking, so they ordered in a pizza. They didn't do much talking over dinner, and Mike wondered why. He didn't ask, though. He wondered how he could just fall asleep in a store. He wasn't nearly as tired as he had been before, it didn't make any sense. He had spoiled his day out with Holly, and that irked him.

After dinner they put on a movie, but Jack and Holly weren't really paying attention. Mike noticed the tension but had no idea what to do about it. He was sitting with his arms around his knees. Holly noticed how he normally sat that way, and if he wasn't in a ball, standing or sitting he usually had his arms around his chest and he curled in on himself, guarding himself. Despite her unease about Vito and his overall condition, she still hoped he would feel safe enough eventually to not have to hold himself that way.

Mike was still sleep deprived from Mal's insomnia, and Vito's workout had only exhausted him more, so he accidentally fell asleep in a ball on the couch halfway through the movie. It was an uncomfortable position to sleep in, so Jack gently picked him up and carried him to his room.

After the movie ended, as they were lying in bed, Jack said, "I really feel sorry for him, you know? I mean, I don't think he knows what's going on."

"It must be so confusing to start in one place and wake up somewhere else, with no memory of the in-between. What must that be like?"

"I can't even imagine. How are we going to tell him? If someone told me I had a disorder like that, I don't know what I would do. I don't want to hurt him, but he's going to have to find out sooner or later. He's so young and so nice, what kind of people could do this to a child? It makes me angry just thinking about it. Mike deserves better."

"I referred to him as my son today in the mall by accident when I was looking for him. I don't know how I feel about that."

"Holly, we can't take care of a boy like him permanently. You've had to miss work this week to take care of him, and if those personalities of his keep popping out, he'll need a lot of supervision. We can't give him what he needs."

"I know, I just hope that whoever he ends up with, they'll take care of him. I just want him to be okay."

* * *

><p>A while after Jack tucked him in bed, Mike woke up and wondered how he had ended up there. That wasn't big on his list of concerns, though. He had bigger problems.<p>

Why were Jack and Holly acting so strangely? The first day they really seemed to like him, but now they didn't seem to want to be around him anymore. They weren't making him leave, but it felt like they were only tolerating him.

"Did I do something wrong?" he quietly wondered aloud. He couldn't think of anything, but he knew he must have done something to upset them. Maybe this was their way of telling him they didn't want him. Where would he go if he couldn't live here? He had heard of kids being passed around like a hot potato in the foster system, until they got too old and had to go out on their own. Was that to be his fate? He just wanted a family, he didn't want to be alone anymore.

He heard the others arguing in his head about something, and he took a little comfort in knowing that at least he had his imaginary friends with him. They would never leave, so he would never be completely alone. Still though, he wanted more than imaginary friends. He wanted real people to love him, people he hadn't made up. He hoped he could change their minds and win them over, he really liked them. He hoped they would let him stay.

* * *

><p>Three days later, Mike and Holly were in the waiting room at a pediatrician's office. The doctor asked Mike a series of questions and ran a battery of tests, including an x-ray at Holly's request. She hoped this would answer some of her questions. He was very nervous about the whole thing, but she assured him he had nothing to be afraid of.<p>

Afterwards, the doctor spoke to them both.

"Mike, you say you're eight years old, but all these tests show that you are no younger than ten."

"How can that be? I know how old I am, I'm eight."

"Have you ever been in any accidents?"

"I don't think so."

"There are multiple scars on your bones from old breakages. Did your parents hurt you, son?"

"I don't know. I don't know who my parents are, or where they are. Why don't I know who they are? Why don't I know anything?"

Mike was beginning to panic, and Holly took his hand and squeezed it. She had expected him to flinch or pull away, but he relaxed a little and squeezed her hand back.

"It's all right, Mike," said Holly. "We're going to get through this, okay?"

He took a deep breath. "Okay."

The doctor concluded that overall Mike was healthy, though a bit malnourished. He prescribed vitamins, and gave him a few shots. Mike really didn't like this part, but Holly let him squeeze her hand to distract him from it. She could tell he was more upset over the fact that he couldn't remember anything beyond his first name than he was about the shots, but she didn't know how to help him. She felt so sorry for him, not only did he have this disorder and not only did he have amnesia, but he had had two years of his life stolen, two years he could never get back.

That Thursday, Holly was going to take Mike to see a child psychiatrist. Before they went, Mike asked Holly if she could give him a haircut.

"It's in my eyes, I can barely see. I could put it in a ponytail if I wanted."

"You've come to the right place, it's my job to cut hair."

She sat him down in front of a mirror and asked, "How much do you want off?"

"I'm not sure, just start cutting and I'll tell you when to stop."

She started snipping away and dark brown locks fell around her feet. She cut until his hair no longer fell around his face, and he stopped her. She took a brush and tried to smooth his hair down, but there was no controlling it. It stood up in spikes.

"Well, your hair is impossible, but I like it. Not many people can pull off a look like this, but I think it suits you."

"You really think so?"

"You're very handsome," she said, and kissed him on the cheek. Mike looked at himself in the mirror; with his new t-shirt and jeans, and his new haircut, he didn't look bad at all.

After his haircut, they left to go see the doctor. She was lucky to have gotten an appointment so soon. When they called him back, Mike looked to Holly pleadingly.

"You're coming in with me, right?"

"This is supposed to be just between you and the doctor."

"You came in with me at the last one, why not this one?"

The doctor came out to meet them. She wore a light gray skirt with a white blouse, and she had half-moon glasses on her nose. She had olive skin and inky black hair pulled back in a bun. She smiled when she saw him.

"Hello there, are you Mike?"

He nodded reluctantly and tried to hide behind Holly.

"If you wouldn't mind Mrs. Skinner, you are allowed to come in. I'd prefer if you not say anything while we talk, but you can come in to provide support until Mike is ready to come in on his own."

"Thank you," said Holly. Mike let out a sigh of relief and followed the doctor into her office. There was a couch and an armchair, and there were some potted plants here and there. The floor was hardwood, and the walls were painted light blue. There was a painting of a waterfall at night in the center, and it all made for a relaxing setting.

"Mike, my name is Dr. Aria Lace," said the doctor after they had taken their seats. The doctor took the armchair, and Mike and Holly sat on the couch. Mike didn't curl up in a ball, but he hugged his arms around his stomach.

Holly had seen reviews of her from other people online, and they all said she was very good at her job. They also said she was patient and kind, which was what she was really looking for.

"If you don't mind, Mike, I'll be recording our session so I can study it more later."

"I went to a doctor a few days ago, he said I'm healthy. He already did a lot of tests, I don't know what more you could do."

"I'm not that kind of doctor. I'm here to talk to you about your imaginary friends."

This was odd, why would she want to know about them? "What do you want to know about them?"

"How long have you had them?"

"I don't really remember anything before they found me on that road, but I know I had them before then, I just don't know how long."

"How many do you have? Most children just have one."

"Four. Wait, five. No, four, definitely four."

"Do they have names?"

"Chester, Svetlana, Vito, and Manitoba Smith." It occurred to him that maybe it was his imaginary friend's fault that Jack and Holly were acting so strangely. He was kind of old to be playing pretend, this doctor would probably tell him he needed to give up his made-up friends. He wouldn't argue, it was about time he grew up. He would miss them, but if it made Jack and Holly like him more and want to keep him, then it would be worth it.

"Do they ever talk to you?"

Mike looked down, ashamed to answer. Holly took his hand and gave it a squeeze, and he got the courage to speak.

"Yes, they do. A lot. But I don't mind, it's nice to have someone to talk to."

"Do they ever make you do things?"

"They want me to do stuff, but I just ignore it, usually. I mean, some things I'll do to make them happy, but I'm not about to go join a ballerina class, or try to get a girl's number."

"Do you ever feel like you're not yourself, or do you ever wake up somewhere and not remember how you got there?"

"Sometimes. I just have a bad memory, that's all." He wondered why she was asking all these questions, but he wasn't worried. He knew what she would say and he would do it.

"I see. Mrs. Skinner, from the information you gave me on the phone, and after talking to Mike, I do believe he has Dissociative Identity Disorder, or Multiple Personality Disorder, as it is more often called."

"What does that mean?" asked Mike. That wasn't what he had expected at all. "Is that a disease? Am I sick? Is there something wrong with me?"

"No Mike, you're not sick," said Dr. Lace. "It just means that you have several identities that you talk to or switch between. It happens when a child is put under too much stress and trauma and, in order to cope, the brain creates new identities to take on the stress until the child is ready to cope with it. However, the identities usually outlive the stress, and don't go away even after they are no longer needed. It's quite rare, but you're not alone."

"What does that mean, exactly?" said Mike, growing more and more worried. He started squeezing Holly's hand without realizing he was doing it.

"Mike, sometimes these other identities, or personalities, will take control of your body away from you, and you will lose most or all awareness. When you regain control, you have no memory of what has happened, and you don't know how much time has passed. I believe this is why you don't remember where you came from, and why you think you're eight when you're actually ten. Your personalities must have had most of the control for the last two years. Many people with this disorder don't remember having abusive childhoods, but I've never heard of someone losing all memory of their past because of it. This is very intriguing, and I'll try to help you access those memories in our sessions together. But Mike, do not think this makes you insane. You are not."

"I read that there's no cure for it," said Holly. "Is that true?"

"We can treat it with therapy and with medication to help him deal with any anxiety or depression brought on by it, but no, there is no cure. One day he may be able to integrate and unify his personalities into one, but there's no guarantee of that. The best we can do is help him manage it and lead a semi-normal life, but it won't be easy. He will need to see me at least once every two weeks, although once a week would be ideal."

"No!" Mike shouted suddenly, startling them both. He stood up and said, "I do not have a mental disorder! They're just imaginary friends, I'll get rid of them, I'll make them go away, I promise! There's nothing wrong with me, I'm fine!"

"Calm down, Mike," said Holly, but he wasn't listening.

"I know it's hard to accept, but we're going to help you."

"I don't need help! A lot of kids have imaginary friends, and they're fine! I'm fine too! Holly, don't you believe me?"

Holly hated herself for this, but the sooner he accepted the truth, the sooner he could begin to accept it. "Mike, the night we had spaghetti, when we turned on the Olympics, Svetlana came out and started doing gymnastics in the living room. After she was done, you came back, but you didn't remember any of what had happened."

"No," he whispered as his face filled with despair.

Tears pricked her eyes. Seeing his anguish hurt her more than she thought it would. "And the reason we had to leave the mall early was because Vito took over. He was causing a commotion and we had to get out of there. We didn't know how to bring you back, and so he was in control for several hours."

"That's impossible."

"Sweetheart, I wish it wasn't true, and I wish more than anything I could take this from you, but I can't. You have to accept it, you have MPD."

"No, no I won't listen!" Mike yelled, becoming more and more agitated. "They're imaginary, they're not real! They're not real!"

Mike blinked, it only seemed to last a second. When he closed his eyes he was standing in front of the couch, and when he opened them he was sitting in a corner of the room, curled up in the fetal position.

"How did I get over here?" he asked.

"Mike, repeat to me the last thing you said," said Dr. Lace. She was crouched down by his side with a hand on his shoulder, while Holly was standing several feet away and facing the other direction. His first thought was that he must have done something to make her angry. She turned to look at him when she heard him speak. Dr. Lace looked concerned but still professional, Holly looked very worried and upset.

"I said my imaginary friends aren't real."

"That was a half hour ago."

"That can't be right."

"You said a lot of things, would you like to hear the recording of what happened?"

"No," said Holly firmly. "Absolutely not, he shouldn't hear that."

"I want to hear it," said Mike as he stood to his feet. He sat back down in his seat, feeling very apprehensive.

"Mike, it will only frighten and upset you even more."

"Mrs. Skinner, with all due respect, in order for Mike to come to grips with this, he needs to face the truth."

"Play the tape," said Mike, scared but determined.

Dr. Lace started the recording, and Mike listened intently. As Mike listened to the recording, Holly texted Jack, _You need to get home as soon as possible. Mike just found out he has MPD and he's taking it very hard._

"They're not real!" Mike in the recording gasped, and another voice took his place. "Ooh, I've never been here before. I love new places."

"Mike?" said Holly.

"Oh, I'm not Michael, but I'll pretend to be him so you don't feel bad. I like pretending."

"That's very kind of you," said Dr. Lace. "But I wouldn't mind talking to you for a while."

"Really? You want to talk to me?" This voice was very energetic and childlike, it sounded like a five year old.

"Yes, I do. Do you have a name?"

"My mama forgot to give me one, but that's okay. She says I'm a smart little boy, because I already know my alphabet and I can count to ten. She gets me lots of toys because she loves me so much. Have you seen my toy collection? I have race cars and action figures, all kinds of things."

"You're very sweet. You know, I have some toys that you can play with. They're in the toybox behind the couch."

He gasped, and Mike heard running footsteps. He opened the box and squealed in delight.

"You like the teddy bear and the frog, I see. Give them both a big hug."

"I can jump like a frog, you wanna see?"

"I would love to see that, but do you think you could tell me where Mike is?"

"Michael is really scared, he doesn't want to play anymore. He's probably going to play with Vito or Svetlana."

"How does Mike know Vito and Svetlana?"

"They're his friends. He's my friend, too."

"Mrs. Skinner told me that Vito spent a lot of time exercising, and Mike felt sore afterwards. How could he feel it if you're all different people?"

"I take very good care of my toys. I polish them and keep them clean, I don't leave them outside in the rain, and I fix them when they're broken. They all still look new."

"Are you all related somehow? Cousins, maybe?"

"I live in a big white house with pink roses growing around it, that's where I keep my toys."

"Perhaps you're all part of the same person."

"No, that's silly, you're silly!" he laughed.

"It is possible that you're all aspects of one person, all pieces of Mike."

"But how could that be? You see me, I'm just Michael's friend. Look here in the mirror. You can see I have red hair, I'm the only one in my family that does. I don't even look like I'm part of the family, they call me Carrot Top. Michael doesn't have red hair, he has brown hair, so we can't be the same person."

"Is Mike ready to come back out yet?"

He gasped again, and he heard the sound of the toys falling onto the floor. An angry voice shouted, "I hate Michael, I hate him!"

"Why do you hate him?"

"His mommy always hurts him and he makes me get hurt in his place. She keeps me locked away where I can't see anything. It's cold and dark and I'm starving and she doesn't let me out no matter how much I beg!" He started crying and he said, "I can't see, I can't see anything, not even my hands in front of my face."

"Where does she keep you?"

"In the broom closet. It's so dark, I'm scared of the dark."

"I'm going to let you out."

"The door's locked."

"I have the key. Listen." He heard a door open. "I've opened the door, you can some out now. Can you see? Is the dark gone?"

"Yeah, but she's gonna put me back in! I have to get out before she gets me again!"

"Mike sweetie, stay back from the window!" said Holly.

"There she is, Mommy's right there and she's gonna do it again!"

He started banging on the window and Dr. Lace said, "Don't break the window Mike, the broken glass would hurt your hands." He heard her footsteps moving closer to him in the recording. "Mike, what you're afraid of isn't happening anymore, you don't have to be scared here, you don't need to escape. That happened in the past, this is the present. We're in the present, your mother is in the past. She can't hurt you anymore."

"Yes she can, she will if you don't get her away from me!" He was hyperventilating now.

"It's okay Mike, don't be scared," said Holly. He screamed, and Mike couldn't make out what he said after that, he was so hysterical he couldn't speak coherently.

"Mrs. Skinner, I know this is difficult for you, but you mustn't touch him when he's in this state. I need you to turn around so he can't see your face."

"She's gonna do it again! She shot me!"

"She shot you?"

"At the doctor, she let them shoot me."

"Oh, I see. The doctor gave you a shot, didn't he? And you didn't know why it was happening, that must have been very scary. I know that must have hurt a lot, I don't like shots either. But they keep you from getting sick, they keep you healthy. I had a flu shot last year, and you know what happened?"

"What?"

"I didn't get the flu, I didn't get sick."

"What's your name?"

"Dr. Lace."

"You're a doctor? You're going to shoot me!"

"No, I'm not going to shoot you. Doctors don't want to hurt you, they want to help you feel better. But you can call me Miss Aria, instead. Is that better?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Can I be your friend?"

"Yeah."

"I'm so glad we can be friends. And what can I call you?

"She's gonna put me in the dark again," he wailed. "I can't get out, why can't I get out? I'm stuck here and no one will help me, I'm going to be trapped here forever. I'm suffocating, I'm running out of air."

"You see this room we're in? This is a safe room, where nothing can get in and hurt us."

"It's safe?"

"Yes, you're protected here. You can trust me, Mike, as long as you're with me your mother can't hurt you. I'll keep her away."

"You promise?"

"I promise. Now, this woman in here with us is not your mother, and I want you to see her, okay? She won't hurt you, she wants to keep you safe just like I do. Will you look at her?"

"Okay," he said, finally starting to calm down.

"Come here, let's walk away from the window together. Would you like to hold my hand? That's it, as long as you're holding my hand nothing can hurt you. You're being very brave, it makes me happy to see you being so brave. Slowly, one step at a time, there's no rush. Okay, let's stop here. Now Mrs. Skinner, slowly turn around and face us."

A second passed, and then he started screaming, "You promised! You promised you'd keep me safe and she's right there, you brought her back! I want her dead and I want Michael dead!" He started speaking in a slightly higher tone but with a growl, replaying his mother's words like a tape recorder. "Don't tell anyone what your father did, you keep it secret or you'll get in big trouble! You tell them you fell down the stairs again, if they find out what happened you'll have a lot worse than a broken arm. Be glad your father loves us so much, you should be grateful you even have a father! You bad, spoiled boy, do you want to end up like Jake and Lizzie? Keep it up and you will! Bad things happen to bad boys, you make us have to punish you! You're a liar, just like your father! We wouldn't have to punish you if you would just do what you know you're supposed to! Stop talking to yourself all the time, you can't talk to people who aren't there! You bad, bad boy! Don't leave me Mike, we only do it because we love you. We only do it because we love you…"

"Mrs. Skinner, turn back around. I'm so sorry I scared you Mike, I pushed you too far too fast. It's okay to be scared, I get scared too sometimes. We're going to work on it though, okay? I'm going to help you not be afraid anymore."

"You broke your promise."

"I did, and I'm sorry, but I'm still your friend. Look, your mother's gone, it's just you and me now."

"Just us?"

"Yes, just you and me in the safe room."

In real time, Dr. Lace said, "This is when you curled up in the corner."

On the recording he said, "Daddy's coming home, he's coming home and he's going to hurt me too. Why does everything have to hurt so much?"

"Your father's not here, we're in the safe room, remember? He can't get you in here."

He was still crying, and he said, "Michael gets to go to school and play, I always have to stay in the dark where it's scary."

"Mike didn't put you in there, your mother and father did. If they're the ones that hurt you, shouldn't you be mad at them, and not Mike?"

"I hate him so much." He started whimpering. "I can't see anything, it's so dark. I hate the dark…"

Dr. Lace turned off the recording and said, "After that you wouldn't say anymore. You stayed curled up like that for five minutes before coming back. I'm very sorry, Mike."

Mike noticed that his cheeks were wet and his throat scratchy, but he couldn't remember crying or yelling. What he'd heard on that tape was horrifying and unbelievable. "That was really me?"

"Yes, it was."

"That didn't sound like any of my imaginary friends."

"You may have other alternate personalities that you're not yet aware of. You became so agitated that it brought out lesser personalities that aren't as developed. We'll work more on this in therapy, but we've already made a good deal of progress for a first session. Mrs. Skinner, schedule an appointment for no later than two weeks from today. In the meantime, I'll consult with some of my colleagues to see what the best medication would be for him to take."

"Thank you. Come on, Mike."

Mike and Holly left the office, and she scheduled another appointment for the next week. Mike stood by her with his arms wrapped around himself. He wouldn't speak anymore.

Holly was impressed with the way the doctor had handled his personalities, it made her feel more comfortable letting her treat Mike. But she couldn't get over the fact that when that alternate personality looked at her, it thought it was seeing Mike's biological mother. This proved that he was from an abusive home. It hurt her to see him look at her with such terror and contempt. What did that woman do to him that made him like this? It made her furious that that woman would hurt the wonderful son she was blessed with so terribly, while she couldn't have even one child. Why was the world so unfair?

In his head, Mike heard a voice telling him he was crazy. It was Mal, and though he sounded familiar to him, he didn't recognize him. He said, _"I always knew you were loony bird, and I was right. You lost your marbles a long time ago, you just couldn't see it until now. They'll call you Mike the Maniac, and you know what happens to crazy people. Say hello to life as a reject."_ He laughed at him, making Mike cringe.

Mal kept up the verbal assault, making the already bad diagnosis even worse, and making Mike even more upset and angry than he already was. He couldn't accept this. He felt fine, he didn't feel crazy at all. But what did crazy feel like, really? How was he to know? The doctor must have made some mistake, because he felt normal. He couldn't accept what he'd heard on the tape. Even though all the evidence was against him and proved that what the doctor said was true, he rejected it with everything in him. He was angry and hurt that Holly thought he was insane, and now Jack would think so, too. Everyone would think he was crazy because a doctor said so.

When they got home, Jack had left work early and was waiting for them. Mike still wasn't talking, and he had a dark scowl on his face.

"Hey buddy, come sit down on the couch," said Jack gently when they came in the door. Mike wordlessly sat down, and he wouldn't look at either of them.

"How are you holding up?"

"Don't listen to her, I'm not crazy!"

"Mike, no one thinks you're crazy," said Holly. "The doctor even said so herself."

"But I'm not normal, so I might as well be. My life is over!"

Mike stood off the couch and started kicking it repeatedly. They watched as rage filled his face as he kicked it harder and harder. He turned to the mantle, which had snowglobes, picture frames, and the antique vase that had been handed down to them from Jack's grandmother as a wedding gift.

He picked up a snowglobe and threw it at a wall, shattering it. Holly started to get up to stop him, but then stopped herself. These were just material things, things that wouldn't last. She loved them, but Mike was more important. This was an awful fate that had been thrust onto him by the people who had abused and tortured him. He was just a child, and he would spend the rest of his life trying to cope with an incurable condition that had the potential to ruin him. Anyone would be angry in his position, and she found that she wanted to get up there and help him break her things. He needed to take out this anger before they could begin working through this, and if it meant sacrificing her precious things, so be it.

He smashed all her snowglobes and broke the glass in every frame. He then lifted the vase off the mantle and Holly said, "Yes, smash it!"

"Smash it to pieces!" said Jack.

And he did. He threw the vase at the floor and it broke in pieces. Once there was nothing left to destroy, he calmed down, and realized what he had just done.

"I'm sorry!" he said, horrified. "I don't know what I was thinking, I just couldn't stop myself. I was just so angry, I needed to break something. I'll pay you back somehow, I swear. I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it, sweetie. Jack and I have collected a lot of junk over the years, we've been needing to go through it and get rid of some of it. You've done us a favor."

"Do you feel better now, sport?"

"No, no I don't. But maybe… maybe if I do what the doctor says, go to therapy and take my medicine, it'll go away soon. It will go away, right?"

"No sweetheart. It might go away one day, but the best we can hope for is to make it manageable."

"It's not fair!" cried Mike, and he gasped. He hunched over and said, "Quit your whining, it's not the end of the world! Dang fool kids, always getting worked up over nothing!"

Jack and Holly watched with pity. They weren't sure what exactly had triggered this personality, but his current emotional state must have had something to do with it. Whatever the cause, it was hard to watch, because it meant Mike couldn't even deal with his emotions without another personality taking over.

Mike took back control quickly this time, but he realized what had happened.

"It happened again, didn't it?"

They could only nod yes.

He buried his face in his hands and ran up the stairs to his room and slammed the door shut.

"What are we going to do?" asked Holly as they started picking up the pieces of broken glass. She felt a tear run down her face, she felt so sorry for him.

"I don't know. I just don't know."

* * *

><p>In his room, Mike took his pillow and screamed into it. He had never felt this angry before; he was angry at the doctor for the diagnosis, angry at himself for losing control and breaking things that weren't his, and angry at his alternate personalities for doing this to him.<p>

Screaming into the pillow let out some of the anger and helped him calm down, and he laid down on the bed and curled up, holding himself tight. He felt like crying, but he was still in too much shock to cry.

"_Do not being sad, Mike,"_ said Svetlana from inside his head. _"Living vith us is not so bad. Ve vill help you. Svetlana vill take care of any physical challenge."_

"_And you've got me to take you on adventures!"_

"_And you've got me to help you with the ladies."_

"I don't want any of you, not anymore."

"_But Mike, we're your friends, mate."_

"_Ve are like family!"_

"I'm a freak because of you! Why do you have to take over my body, it's mine!"

"_This is the only body we got, kid!" _said Chester.

"_Yeah, it's not like we got a lot of options here, bro. You don't actually expect us to stay inside forever, do you? We need time to breathe."_

"_And it is not like ve can be leaving. You brought us here, you made us, and so ve must be sharing zis body. Ve are deserving to use it as much as you."_

"You were supposed to just be my imaginary friends, you were never supposed to be real."

"_It's not like we chose this, mate."_

"I'm insane. I can't remember anything and I have other people living inside my head. They're going to put me in a straightjacket in a padded cell, they'll keep me there the rest of my life."

"_Let us hope not, zat place vas terrible."_

"How would you know, Svetlana?" She gave no answer. "I'm not going to let them lock me in the nuthouse, I'm going to keep you inside my head, I'm going to learn to stay in control all the time."

"_Good luck with that, dang punk."_

"_Do you really hate us so much, Mike?"_ asked Svetlana. _"Are ve really so terrible?"_

"Yes."

"_Fine zen, have it your vay. Ve vill be coming out, zis is our body as much as it is yours."_

"_Just try to keep us out, ya dingo. I want to see you try to keep the great Manitoba Smith down."_

Mike didn't talk to them anymore. He felt bad for what he had said, they were still his only friends, but they had made him into a psycho. He wondered if he had ever been normal, or if he had been born with them. The doctor said what he had was caused by trauma, but he couldn't remember anything bad happening to him. Of course, he couldn't remember anything at all, but still. He hoped his new doctor could help him remember, so maybe he could understand why he was this way.

He realized that this was why Jack and Holly had acted weird around him, they had known he was a freak all along but hadn't told him until now. Now they would never want him, no one would. He would never have a family, he would always be alone.

In spite of everything, he was able to sleep. His body was still catching up on rest. But that night was when the nightmares started, nightmares that would haunt him almost every night after.

The others started talking inside his head as he was drifting off.

"_Welp, mystery solved,"_ said Manitoba.

"_I always thought Mike was like an alien or somethin, I guess this makes more sense,"_ shrugged Vito.

"_Ve need to decide how much ve are going to let Mike know. Ve know about vat happened to him before, but I zink ve shouldn't be telling him."_

"_Why not? Then we wouldn't have to listen to him whine about not knowing where he came from,"_ said Chester.

"_It vould hurt him too much, and it vould do him no good, anyvay. He should start over vith a clean slate, he vill be happier zis vay."_

"_He don't seem too happy now. Don't see why, when he's got a great adventurer with him,"_ said Manitoba.

"_But most importantly, ve must make sure zat Mal does not escape, and ve should not be telling Mike about him, either."_

"_Now that's just asking for trouble,"_ said Chester.

"_What if Mal gets loose, shouldn't Mike know so he can be ready? Not that he could do much against Mal, unlike me,"_ asked Vito.

"_Mal is never getting free again, ze chain is too strong, he is powerless as long as it is on him. Ve vill tell Mike if he becomes a threat again, but only zen."_

The others agreed, they didn't care about Mike as much as Svetlana did and so it didn't really matter to them either way. Svetlana left the others to go off by herself for a while. Manitoba and Vito were already back to arguing over who was tougher, and she had no wish to talk to Chester. She went off a ways, not far though, none of them ever wandered off too far.

She started practicing her gymnastics when one of the half-formed alters approached her. She was so startled she actually lost her balance and fell, a first for her. Those things never came this close, and she wondered what it could possibly want.

"_Get avay from me," _she told it sharply. She picked herself up off the ground and held herself with dignity.

"_I need to tell you something."_

She had to do a double take, that was the most intelligent thing she'd ever heard come out of one of these alters. This one was particularly hideous, but its level of intelligence was higher than the others.

"_Vat is it?" _

"_It's about the scary one."_ She noticed how deep this alter's voice was. How lucid it sounded, too.

"_You mean Mal?"_

"_Yes. What do you know about him? How did he start out?"_

"_He started out blank, as a vay to take ze pain from Mike so he vouldn't have to suffer so much, but it made him go rotten."_

"_Not exactly. That's what he wants you to think, because he hates the truth. You know Michael had a brother, Jacob."_

"_Yes, he died."_

"_Mike accidentally brought him back as one of us, and he turned into the one you call Mal."_

"_You are making zat up, or you are being a confused. Zat is not vat happened."_

"_Mal made you forget, but he didn't make me or the others like me forget. He didn't think he would need to, since we're not a threat to him. He used to be nice because he thought he was Michael's brother, but then he found out that he's not, and it hurt him so much that he got twisted into this."_

"_Svetlana does not believe you."_

Before she could stop him or get away, he grabbed her hand and she saw images flash before her eyes, and she saw that what he had told her was the truth. He released her after only one second had passed, but she could see how doing that had drained him.

For a few seconds she couldn't help but pity Mal, what had happened to him wasn't his fault. He had been a lost, scared little boy like Mike, trying to fight an unwinnable battle by protecting him, and was twisted by the life forced upon him. But her sympathy was overtaken by her intense anger and hatred at him for what he had done. His past didn't excuse what he had done to them and to everyone else he had hurt. Still though, it made her feel a little sorry for him.

"_Vat is Svetlana supposed to be doing vith zis information?"_

"_Most of the others like me blame Michael for our pain, they hate him, they want him to die. But I know it wasn't Michael's fault, it was his daddy who hurt us, and now it's Mal, who is worse than his daddy was. They hate Michael and they want him gone, they don't understand that we need him to survive."_

"_Why are you telling Svetlana and not Manitoba or Chester or Vito?"_

"_It was your idea to keep the truth from him before, things might not have ended in disaster if he had known sooner."_

"_How vas I to know zat vould happen? Mal never showed signs of becoming like zis before, I zought I vas doing ze right zing in keeping him from knowing ze truth. But Mike is different, he isn't like Mal. Keeping ze secret from him von't drive him mad like it did Mal._

"_Mike doesn't even know he ever had a brother, telling him vouldn't help him, especially if Mal is locked avay for good. I don't vant to see Mike hurt anymore, he has a chance now to start over vith a clean slate and have a good life, he does not need to know about his old one. Ze burden is no longer his to bear, he has been put through too much already, Svetlana vill protect him by keeping zis secret. If keeping ze truth from him protects him, zen I vill do it. Not to mention, Mal vould probably kill me if he found out zat I know his secret now. Svetlana von't tell ze others either; if Mal escapes he could take our memories again, or he could be killing us. And maybe I could use zis secret against him someday."_

"_If you think that's best, then do it. I thought someone should know."_ The alter turned and started hobbling away, back to where the other alters like him stayed.

"_Vait!"_ she called after it. _"Do you… do you have a name?"_

"_None of us do,"_ it replied without stopping.

Svetlana didn't know what to make of the thing, it unsettled her. She started thinking about Mal again, and what she had just learned. Part of her wanted to believe that Mal was redeemable, that maybe the part of him that had once dedicated itself to helping Mike was still there. But she knew it would be foolish to try, he couldn't be trusted after what he had done. He probably couldn't be redeemed anyway, he liked being this way. He was a lost cause, but Mike wasn't, so she would not forgive Mal for what he had done. She only hoped that she was right, and that the chain would hold forever.

Mal was still wide awake in Mike's mind, as always. He was thinking about what he had learned today. So, Mike had multiple personalities, after all these years the mystery was finally solved. Now he knew the name, and now he finally knew what he was. For years he had believed himself to be Mike's little brother and his guardian angel, when in reality he had never been anything more than just a product of mental illness.

Just the thought of Jake made him furious. He showed no sign of it on the outside, but on the inside he was burning with rage. If Jake hadn't died, Mal never would have existed. Perhaps none of them would have, and Mike never would have developed the disorder in the first place. So it seemed that the years of abuse and neglect hadn't caused all this. They had been laying the foundation for it, but in the end it was the death of his brother that was the catalyst. Mal's entire existence was a coping mechanism, he never had been Mike's little brother, as he had made him believe. Mike had given him all the memories he had of Jake because he was crazy. Mal was nobody, he wasn't even a real person, none of them were. Instead of upsetting him, the realization just made him laugh. Oh, how insane Mike must be to have resurrected his brother in this way, and now he would never be rid of him, not for good, anyway.

But he couldn't stand Jack and Holly. With them, Mike would never have to worry about Jack hitting him or Holly locking him in the dark for hours on end. He would always have enough to eat, he wouldn't want for anything. He wouldn't have to live in fear anymore, he would be safe, he could actually be happy here. Mike didn't deserve such kindness. Mal had taken all of his memories away to protect him, so that maybe he could stop suffering and be normal, but he was still disturbed and broken. Nothing he ever did or could have done amounted to anything, Mike would always be just a pathetic shell of a person, with five other persons living within him.

He couldn't move, couldn't get free. The chains were too strong, and there was no way he could ever convince any of the others to free him. He had begun to resent Mike two years ago, but he hadn't outright hated him then. He wouldn't have tried to fix him if he had. But now he loathed Mike, he wanted him to suffer, he wanted him to die.

If he ever got free of these chains, he would destroy Mike.


	11. Family

Two days later, Mike hadn't left his room, and he wouldn't speak to either of them. Holly brought him meals, but he barely touched them. They didn't try to make him come out, he needed time to be alone. They would go to him as soon as he was ready to talk.

Holly got a call from Zita as she was drinking her morning coffee.

"Mrs. Skinner, we've made arrangements for Mike. We'll be sending someone to collect him in an hour or so."

"This soon? He's been with us for less than two weeks, you found a family already?"

"Not exactly. We're sending him to stay in a facility, St. Francis' hospital for children's mental health. It's the best in the country, Mike will do well there."

"Are you sure? I mean, Jack and I could keep him for a few more days or weeks so you can find him a family to stay with."

"Mrs. Skinner, you know I don't like to treat any case as hopeless, but there is simply no family out there willing to take in a child like Mike. With a disorder like his, he would be too much of a handful, a liability. I don't like it any more than you do, but this hospital is his best option. They can help him manage his disorder better than you and your husband could, no offence."

"Can't we have a day or two to say goodbye?"

"They're already on their way, I can't stop them now. They were very eager to take on Mike's case, they'll give him the best treatment possible. I'm sure they'll let you visit him often."

"I suppose you're right. Thanks Zita."

She hung up the phone. "Jack! Have you left for work yet?"

"I have not yet reported for duty, sir!" he called down from their room.

"We need to talk!"

Jack came down the stairs and she told him what Zita said. He called in sick, and together, they went to get Mike from his room.

"Mike? Mike, we need to talk," said Holly as she knocked on the door.

He didn't try to stop them when they opened the door. He was in his yellow pajamas standing at the window, leaning his head against the glass, looking out at the rain hitting the window. He wasn't angry anymore, he felt numb.

"Sweetie, there are some people coming soon, they're going to take you to your new home."

"New home?" He turned to look at them. "But I thought this was my new home. I mean, I hoped…"

"Well, no. You're going to stay at a facility for a while. They'll help you manage your condition, they'll help you get better."

"A facility, you mean an asylum?"

"It's not like that, it's not as bad as it sounds. The doctors there are trained to help kids in your situation, they know what they're doing, and you'll do well there."

"Why can't I stay here with you?"

"We've never dealt with a disorder like this before, we have no idea what we're doing. We just want what's best for you, and we can't give you the care you need."

"Did I embarrass you? Is it because I broke your stuff? I promise I'll do better, I won't break anything else! I'll keep the others under control, I'll try to be normal!"

"It's not that."

"Do you… do you not like me?" His eyes glistened with tears.

"No, don't ever think that," said Jack. "We just don't think we can give you the care you need. You need people who can help you manage your condition, we're not the right people for that."

"I don't want to leave."

"We'll visit you every week, probably more often than that," Holly promised.

"_Stop begging,"_ said Mal. _"Can't you see they don't want you? You're only making this more difficult for them, and after all the crap you've put them through since you got here, don't you owe it to them to go quietly? Typical Mike, always putting himself before everyone else, you're so selfish."_

"Okay, I'll go," said Mike quietly. "If you really want me too."

They packed his few belongings and then hugged and said their goodbyes. Zelda the cat showed up at the door, as though she somehow knew Mike was leaving. He got to hold her and tell her goodbye, as well.

A white car pulled into their driveway less than an hour later. Mike was very nervous, and he would miss this place, but he was ready.

Mal was getting a lot of enjoyment out of this, and he spoke in Mike's ear, _"Looks like Dorothy is finally going home, and you didn't even have to click your heels. You're going to love the madhouse, you look great in white. One of the best things about the whacky shack is that there will always be someone crazier than you, hard to believe, I know. I'm sure you'll love the doctors, you might even come to think of them as parental figures. You might as well, because Jack and Holly aren't going to keep their promise, they're not going to visit. They might for the first couple weeks, but they'll forget or just get tired of it quickly. They're going to dump you there like people drop off unwanted puppies at the pound, and then they'll go and adopt normal kids and have the big, happy family they always wanted. Or, maybe they won't, maybe they'll be too scared that every kid they adopt will be a whack-job and they won't adopt any more. Wouldn't that be just awful? And it would be all your fault, because you ruin everything._

"_I wonder how long you'll have to stay. It is a kid's facility, so I guess you would get passed along to a big boy one eventually. I know you're scared, but the drugs will fix that. You get free access to mind-numbing drugs, and you never have to feel any bad feelings again, only a constant high. When you're taking them, you could probably hallucinate a family for yourself. The drugs will help shield you from the shock treatments too, and you'll get used to any pain you do feel sooner or later. You'll probably spend the rest of your life in a padded cell, and maybe one day you'll even like it. Think about it, no one would be able to hurt you in there, no one would tease you for your condition and you'd never have to face disappointment and rejection. The cell pads you from the cold, cruel world."_

Mike tried to ignore the voice in his head, but he couldn't tune him out. He was so scared and so depressed, but he put on a brave face for them. He wasn't going to be selfish or ruin everything anymore.

A man and woman in suits came and talked to him and told him about the place he was going to. They sounded nice, but he couldn't get over his uneasiness.

"Hello, Mike," said the woman pleasantly. "We're here to take you to your new home. You're going to love it, the doctors there are very nice. We'll take good care of you, and we'll help you manage your condition."

"How long will I have to stay?"

"As long as you need to. But don't worry, you'll come to think of the other patients as your family in no time."

Mike took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm ready to go."

"Come along Ma-, I mean, Mike," said the man.

Jack got Mike an umbrella, and they took him to the car. As they were putting him inside, Holly said, "Jack, this is wrong."

"You think so too?"

"He might be a handful, but I think he's the one for us. We can learn to help him with his MPD, we can do it. I don't want him to go, I want him to stay with us."

"I'm so glad you agree. I didn't say anything because I didn't want you to feel obligated to keep him if you didn't want to."

"We need to stop this."

"Can we?"

Before they could decide what they needed to do, Mike was sitting in the car, and he saw a folder in the front seat labeled St. Francis' hospital for children's mental health. It meant nothing to him, but it was very significant to Svetlana.

In Mal's time in the asylum, he had never cared enough to find out the name of the facility he was in. But one day, when he had been channeling Svetlana to freak out the doctors, she caught sight of a folder just like this one with that same name.

Svetlana took control and got out of the car and said, "Stop zis! Do not be sending Mike to zat hospital! Zat vas ze same hospital he vas in before he came here, and zey tortured us zere! Zey are animals! Volves in sheep's clothing! If you send Mike back zere, zey vill kill us!"

They grabbed her to keep her quiet and they forced her back into the car. They started driving off with her, but she opened the door, leapt over the top, and took off running as fast as she could.

"I'm going to call the police, you go after Mike!" said Jack.

Holly ran after him, appalled that she had almost sent him to such a terrible place. Of course, Svetlana was just an alternate personality and not the best witness, but right now she had no reason to not trust her, and after those people had tried to forcibly take Mike, that lent a lot of credence to Svetlana's story.

She followed him into the forest by the house. By the time she found him, she was soaked from the rain. She found him sitting on the highest branch of the tallest tree in the forest.

"Mike! Is it you, or is it still Svetlana?"

"It's me."

"Can you get down?"

"I think so."

He slowly began climbing down the tree, and when he was about halfway down, he lost his grip and fell. He landed in mud and got it all over himself.

"Mike! Are you okay?"

"I think so, my leg hurts, though."

She checked his leg. "It's not broken, thank goodness. I think it's just sprained."

He suddenly burst into tears and said, "Please don't send me away, Holly! I don't know why Svetlana took control back there, but I'm trying to keep them under control, I really am! I want to stay with you and Jack, I want to be part of a family."

Mike buried his face in his hands and wept. Holly pulled him into her lap and held him tight, and let him cry on her shoulder. He put his arms around her and she stroked his hair and rocked him back and forth as his body was racked with sobs. The rain was starting to let up, it was sprinkling now.

"Something good might come out of this, one day," she said in an attempt to make him feel better.

"No, nothing good can ever come out of this. Why me? Why?"

Holly felt tears run down her face. She remembered asking the same question the day she found out she would never be pregnant. Every day for so long she had prayed for a baby, but her prayers had gone unanswered. She had come to terms with it eventually, but she still wondered why she couldn't have children of her own when everyone else could. Every day she thought of the babies she could never have, babies with Jack's brown hair and her blonde hair, and it was almost too painful to bear.

But with Mike, she didn't think about it as much. As hectic as the last few days had been, he had a sort of calming effect on her. She was more protective over him than she had ever been with any of their other foster kids, he meant more to her than they had. With her other foster kids she had been a caregiver, nothing more. But with Mike, for the first time in her life, she truly felt like a mother, and she didn't want to lose that.

"I don't know why," said Holly. "But we'll get through this together, you hear me? We're not ever going to send you away, it was a mistake to even consider it. Never again. From now on, you're part of our family. You're my son."

If someone had told Holly when they had first become foster parents that she would one day adopt a child with a disorder like this, she would have said they were crazy. She still wasn't sure if they were cut out for the road ahead of them, Mike was different from any child she'd ever seen before and taking him in would turn their world on its head. But that didn't matter to her, she loved Mike and wanted him to be their son, quirks and all.

"It's selfish of me to ask to stay with you, I'm sorry. I destroyed your stuff, and I have a mental disorder," he said as his whole body shook. "I'm crazy."

"You are not crazy and you're not selfish, either. I told you already, I don't care that you broke my things. I would have too, in your place. You were angry, everyone gets angry. And now you're sad, everyone gets sad, too. These things just mean you're human, like the rest of us."

"On that recording, I was like a little kid, the doctor had to talk to me like I was a baby. The others do things I don't want to do and I can't make them stop. I'm afraid I might hurt someone some day, or that I'll always be an outcast. I just want to be normal. I don't want to be a freak."

"You are not a freak, and being normal is overrated anyway. You'll only be a freak if you believe it. I don't think you're a freak, and neither does Jack. I'm sorry we made you feel that way by sending you with those people. That was wrong. We were just scared, we've never taken care of a kid like you before, we didn't know what to do. We didn't think we could take care of you, and we were afraid of how it would change our lives. Having you around is definitely going to change things, but we're willing to adapt. I had a feeling you might be the one, but I wasn't sure until now. We're going to help you with this, we'll be with you every step of the way. Dr. Lace is going to help you, too, she's going to help you learn to control your disorder so it doesn't control you. Things will get better, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday they will."

"B-B-But why… would you w-want… m-me?" he said through hiccupping sobs. He was crying so hard now he could barely get any words out. "N-N-No one…w-wants a… kid who's in-in-sane. You… sh-should… get a n-normal… kid."

"We've had normal kids in the past, and we've never connected with any of them as much as we have with you. We both think you're the one God chose for us. It won't be easy, but I'm willing to try, if you are. We don't want anyone else, we want you. We'll just be getting a few extra kids in the Mike package. Everything's going to be okay Mike, I promise."

Neither one said anymore. Mike cried until he had no tears left to shed, but even then they just sat there for a long while, listening to the birds and other sounds in the woods. The quiet was tranquil and serene, and the sun was shining beautifully down through the trees.

Mike was a little ashamed of himself for crying so much, but that feeling was forgotten because of the sense of calm and peace he now felt. He had come to terms with his condition, and now that he had, he could look beyond it. The future didn't look so bleak and dismal anymore. He wasn't going to the nuthouse, he wasn't going to spend the rest of his life in a straightjacket. The future was full of obstacles and hurdles, but now he believed he could face them and overcome them. He wasn't scared, upset, or angry anymore. For the first time since receiving his diagnosis, he felt hope beginning to grow.

Hours passed them by, until Jack came and found them.

"The police came and arrested those people. They can't hold them without evidence, but they're going to investigate that hospital. This isn't the first time they've gotten reports like this."

"It's a good thing Svetlana told us, otherwise we might never have known," said Holly. "You see Mike, your alternate personalities aren't all bad."

"Mike, I am so sorry for what we almost did," said Jack. "Can you ever forgive us?"

Mike turned to look at him. "What are you apologizing for?"

"Mike, I want you to become part of our family. It's not really the perfect family, as you've probably guessed by now, but if you want to join it, then we'd love to have you," said Jack.

"Do you really mean that?"

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

Mike tried to stand, but he let out a hiss of pain and clutched his leg, and nearly fell back down. Holly let him take her arm to help him walk.

Mike hugged him and said, "Thank you, Jack, for letting me stay with you."

"It's not Jack anymore, that's dad to you."

* * *

><p>In the following weeks, St. Francis' was shut down after the investigation turned out that they were using illegal methods to treat patients, including shock treatments and experimental drugs. These methods were only used on children with no family or any connections, children who no one would miss if they died. That was how they had gotten away with it for so long. That was why they had wanted Mike back, so he couldn't tell what was going on in there. The police had gotten reports of possibly illegal treatment methods before, but Svetlana was their first solid witness. She testified of what they had done in there, and her testimony was accepted by the judge. The director was arrested, but most of the doctors who worked there got little or no punishment.<p>

Jack and Holly talked to some of the doctors. They couldn't find most of them, but the few they could find they asked about Mike's past. None of them gave them much to go on.

"We didn't think he had DID, he didn't change personalities. He would act differently, but not in the way patients with the disorder normally switch. We had theories of what might have been wrong with him, from antisocial personality disorder to schizophrenia, but no diagnosis fit the bill. We were stumped."

"He was unlike any patient I've ever treated. Well, I say treated, but not a single treatment method had any effect on his mental state. He had these eyes that seemed to just see right through you, they were cold, dead, and empty. He didn't seem like a child at all, he had the face of a child but the eyes of a monster. We didn't know what to make of him. In the year he was there, we had several nurses and even some doctors resign, some just disappeared. One even committed suicide. There was something very wrong with him."

"I never worked with him myself, but one of the nurses said she believed he was possessed by the devil."

None of them would say what exactly he did in there, or why the nurse thought he was possessed. They wouldn't even give them the name of the personality that had been in control during that time, they all just wanted to forget he had ever existed. They wondered what had went on in there, but it was left a mystery.

Jack and Holly didn't know what to make of these testimonies, because none of them gave them any real answers to Mike's past. They were a little hesitant to believe them about Mike after all they had been doing in there, and he showed no signs of this personality returning, but they would keep a look out for it, in case it ever did return. They told his psychiatrist about it, but warned her to not tell Mike unless it showed signs of coming back. They decided not to tell Mike about it, because he was just a kid and it would only make him fear himself. He didn't need to know about things like that that he couldn't change, they would instead encourage him to look to the future.

Jack and Holly signed the adoption papers the very next week and made Mike an official part of the family. Now that he had accepted his disorder and had people to love and take care of him, he was beginning to look much healthier. The shadows under his eyes vanished, and he filled out a little so he no longer looked like a skeleton. There was light in his eyes now, he was beginning to remember how to be happy.

"You're a Skinner now," said Jack as he mussed his hair. "How does it feel to be part of the family?"

"Better than I ever imagined," he said with a broad grin on his face.

Mike couldn't believe what had happened. He had been sure they would never keep him, but they had. He couldn't understand why they would choose him when they could have had any other child, but he was so glad that they did. He was part of a family, he had a mom and dad who loved him, and he couldn't be happier.

Before they finalized it, Zita called one last time.

"I am so sorry, Mrs. Skinner. We had no idea what was going on in that hospital, I never would have had them come for Mike if I had known. But there is another hospital that specializes in children's mental health, and-"

"No, Zita."

"Now, Mrs. Skinner, I understand if you're reluctant to trust mental hospitals after what happened, but-"

"That isn't the issue. Mike won't be going to any hospitals. He will see his psychiatrist every week and take his medication, he doesn't need any more treatment beyond that."

"You aren't really going to take responsibility for a child like this? If you're interested in special needs children, surely you could find one whose needs aren't so… demanding. And he would do so much better in a facility or a group home-"

"He doesn't need a facility, he needs a mother and father. Goodbye, Zita."

They repainted Mike's room turquoise, his favorite color. Before, the walls were solid white, neutral for a boy or girl because they didn't know which they would adopt.

Dr. Lace prescribed drugs for anxiety and depression, and though Mike didn't like taking pills, he did it anyway, and he did feel better once he started.

One night, a week after adopting Mike and after one of his therapy sessions, Jack and Holly were talking about one of the implications of taking him in.

"I still can't believe we're finally parents," said Holly as she painted her nails bright red. "I finally have a child of my very own to love and raise, I finally get to hear a child call me mom. I just hope I can do a good job as a mother."

"You can't do any worse than his birth parents, that's for sure.

"You've got a point. I'm surprised he can trust us after all that happened to him, even if he can't remember it."

"We need to show him that not all parents hurt their children."

"You know, that psychiatrist is very expensive. Insurance covers some of it, but not all. The medication isn't cheap, either. We don't have the money to keep one long term, that is, unless we break into our savings."

"I knew it was coming, I just didn't want to accept it."

Holly waited for her nails to dry and then got up and went over to one of the many jars full of change and dollars bills they had saved over the years. The jars labeled "Dream House."

"Do it fast, get it over with," said Jack as he looked away.

"This is a sad, sad day, but I'll do it, for Mike."

"For Mike," Jack agreed.

Holly took the jar and dumped it into her purse. She left the now empty jar by the wall.

"I'll take it to the bank tomorrow."

"Let's try to avoid driving by the dream house from now on."

"It's worth it for Mike," Holly said like a mantra.

"It's worth it for Mike."

* * *

><p>On their first weekend together as a family, Jack and Holly took Mike to meet his new grandparents. It was just Holly's dad and Jack's grandmother now. They were meeting at Pierre's, the restaurant Jack worked at.<p>

"What are they like?" Mike asked on the drive over.

"You're going to love your new grandparents, Mike," said Holly. "Your grandpa is gruff on the outside, but he's a softie on the inside. He used to travel all over the world with my mom before she died. I went on a few of those trips, I got to see Peru and Italy. And your great grandmother used to own and operate an orphanage, she found homes for a lot of kids just like you."

"Do you think they'll like me?"

"Are you kidding? They've been waiting for a grandchild for ages. Well, technically Wendy's already got Jack, but for obvious reasons you can see why she'd want another."

"You're so mean to me," said Jack as he playfully swatted her arm.

Mike was worried they wouldn't like him, but he was also very excited about getting grandparents. They arrived at the restaurant where his grandparents were already waiting for them.

"Jack!" said his grandmother as she ran to embrace her grandson. "Hello Holly," she said with less enthusiasm.

"Hello Wendy. Hi Dad!"

"Hey, pumpkin. I see you brought your husband," he said with just a tiny hint of disdain.

"Hi Dad," said Jack.

"Call me Todd."

"Yes sir."

Wendy let go of Jack and went to Mike. "And this must be little Mike!" She wrapped him in a big hug. "You can call me Nana, like all my little orphans used to."

"Hi Nana," he said, surprised that she already seemed to like him. She was very small, almost as short as Mike. She had long white hair tied back in an elaborate braid, and her skin was darker than that of her grandson's. She could have easily passed as Mike's biological grandmother. Her dress was bright and colorful, and she wore purple butterfly earrings. She had an inviting smile on her face, he liked her already.

He looked to his grandfather to see what he thought of him. His grandfather was a tall, stern looking man, and his hair was almost completely gray. Mike was intimidated by him.

Todd held out a hand. "Good to meet you, boy."

Mike tentatively shook his hand. The gesture was formal and stiff, and he wasn't sure what he grandfather thought of him.

"Well, let's get inside before we all catch a cold out here!" said Holly, trying to ease the tension.

As they went inside, Mike admired the restaurant. He had never been in such a fancy place before. There were white Christmas lights in every doorway despite it not being Christmastime, and there was classical music playing in the background. Everyone was dressed to the nines, to Mike, it was like a castle.

They went inside and found a table. A waitress came over to take their orders. When she got to Mike, he tried to order but one of his personalities suddenly came out.

"I'll have the chicken- No thanks roo, I don't eat anything I didn't catch with my bare hands. Why, a few nights ago I had myself a dinner of squirrel and snake. My favorite is bear though, you ever try bear meat, roo?"

The waitress took a step back from him, and Holly quickly said, "He'll have the chicken parmesan."

The waitress wrote it down and walked away. He said, "Only if you kill the chicken in the kitchen!"

"Will you please let Mike back out? He's trying to get to know his grandparents," said Holly. She didn't really expect him to let Mike come back, but there wasn't much else she could do.

"No way, Sheila, I want to talk to your explorer father. Tell me, have you been to every country in the world?"

"Holly, could I have a word with you?" asked Todd. His tone was neutral, but with an undercurrent of disdain.

"Sure Dad," said Holly. She had been dreading this.

They walked over by the restrooms and Todd said, "Pumpkin, I'm sorry, but what are you thinking? Why would you ever adopt a boy with a condition like this? How can you stand it?"

"It's not as bad as you think. I'm not sure who this personality is, we haven't really been acquainted, but I'm sure he's a great guy. And Mike is a wonderful kid, you don't know that because he's shy, but once he opens up you'll see how great he is. He needs us."

"I understand that you feel sorry for him, and I can see why, but let someone else take care of it. You have a life to live, I don't want to see it dominated by this boy's disorder."

"But his life is dominated by it, and that's why he needs us. We're helping him so that his disorder won't dominate it as much. We're the only ones who understand him, and we love him. What if I had given birth to Mike myself and he had this disorder, would you still want me to give him away?"

"That is entirely different."

"No, it's not. Mike might not be the perfect child, but if you're looking for the perfect grandchild then you're going to be waiting a long time. Please Dad, respect my decision, and at the very least pretend to like Mike. He needs people in his life to accept him, because not many people will. Do it for your little girl, please?"

"I'll respect your decision. I have nothing against Mike, I won't have to pretend. I just want you to be happy."

"Mike does make me happy. Thank you, Dad." She hugged him, and he gently hugged her back.

"Jack I'll still have to pretend with, though. That is one decision of yours that I will never be able to respect. I still think you could have done better."

"Wendy thinks the same of me, will you two never change?"

They went back to the table, and to Holly's relief Mike was back. Wendy was talking to him about something.

"Her name was Esmeralda, and she came to us when she was twelve with ten other personalities."

"Really? Ten?" said Mike curiously.

"Some of them were very interesting, I think one was a pilot. She had never even been in a plane, but that personality could tell you the ins and outs of just about any plane. Sadly, we couldn't find a home for her, so she stayed with us until she was eighteen. I did love her though, I haven't seen her in years. If I see her again, I'll give her your number. I think you two would be great friends."

"I'd love to meet her," said Mike.

"Another of her personalities was sort of like that ballerina one you've got-"

"I think that's enough talk about this kind of thing, Nana," said Jack. "Don't you want to ask Mike other questions?"

"I'll talk about whatever I want to talk about, sonny. Now Mike, what kind of sports do you like to play? Do you have any hobbies?"

Mike answered her questions, but he hadn't minded talking to her about MPD. He didn't feel weird talking about his disorder with her because she didn't make it weird. She truly enjoyed his company and seemed to like him, and his grandfather did, too. As they talked, she showed him how to fold the napkins into birds and frogs.

Todd started asking questions over dinner, too. "You think you might ever want to do some traveling when you're older?"

"Maybe, but I wouldn't want to go too far."

"Ah, a homebody. Well, I'd offer to take you on a ride on my boat someday, but I sold it after my wife passed on. You should do some traveling though, new scenery would do you good."

Jack and Holly were relieved to see that they were getting along. They really had both wanted a grandchild for a long time, and they couldn't do any better than Mike.

After dinner was over, Mike hugged both his new grandparents. "Bye Nana, by Grandpa."

"Call me Pops, that's what I used to call my grandfather." He patted Mike's shoulder, hugged his daughter, and then got in his car to leave.

"Goodbye Mike, you must come see me soon," said Wendy as she hugged him. "We'll have a marvelous time."

"I'd love to."

Wendy got back in her car. As she drove off, she nearly hit a fire hydrant. Jack said, "I'm pretty sure she shouldn't be driving, but she refuses to give it up."

"She's gotten less tickets than you, honey," said Holly.

"She's just better at not getting caught."

They got in their car, and Jack asked, "So, what do you think of your new grandparents?"

"They're great! Can I visit them soon? Please?"

Jack and Holly smiled. "I'm sure we can work something out."

* * *

><p>Holly enrolled Mike in school, and he was to start in the fourth grade. However, once the school found out about his condition, they denied him admission. Holly and Mike went out to the school to talk to the school board.<p>

Holly and Jack had considered homeschooling him, but they wanted to give him a chance in public school first. They hoped it would help him make some friends, and it would give his life a feeling of more normalcy. Homeschooling would be used as a last resort.

"My name is Holly Skinner," she said to the board. "And this is my son, Mike. He's new to my family. Actually, we were a couple, Mike is the one who made us into a family. He needs a good school to go to, and we would like him to come here. But he's been denied admission, now why is that again?"

"Mike has been diagnosed with a condition that would be distracting to other students and could cause a disturbance," said the lead member.

"You think Mike would be a distraction? So are the class clowns, pretty much all children cause disturbances in the classroom. Do you deny them admission?"

"Well, of course not."

"Mike is no more distracting than they are. But I'm going to let him tell you himself."

Holly stepped back and gestured him forward. Mike was very nervous, he didn't like being the center of attention, but he did really want to go to school. He couldn't remember having ever been to school, and he wanted to learn.

"My name is Mike, and I have Multiple Personality Disorder. I'm learning to control it, and I have people helping me cope with it. I really want to go to school, I want to read books and learn new things. And maybe even make friends. Please let me go to school."

"I'm sorry, but we cannot accommodate a child with a disorder like his in a regular classroom. There are other schools that offer classes for children with special needs-"

"Mike doesn't have those kinds of special needs. He can read and write as well as any other child, and he is very intelligent. Putting him in a special needs class would only be holding him back."

"I am sorry, Mrs. Skinner, but Mike simply cannot attend our school."

"Mike, honey, step outside please," said Holly.

Mike left the room, and through the door he could hear his mother yelling at the school board. It was another half hour before she came back out, but when she did, she was red in the face and had on a triumphant smile.

"We won, baby! You're going to school!"

"Yes!" said Mike as he pumped his fist in the air.

They went straight to the store for school supplies. It pleased Holly to see Mike so excited, especially about something that most kids dreaded.

* * *

><p>The next Thursday, Holly finally went back to work at her salon. She owned it, which was why she wasn't fired for taking so many days off. Jack had the day off, and so he took Mike to see his psychiatrist. Mike had decided that he was going to be brave and go in by himself, but he was still nervous. Jack was reading a sports magazine, but he gave him a thumbs up as he went inside the office.<p>

"You know Mike, in most cases of MPD, personalities hold characteristics of the host, along with memories. It's like they're holding onto these memories and characteristics for safekeeping," said Dr. Lace. She wasn't going to tell him about his violent personality, but they did need to make sure he knew to look out for it. "For example, Manitoba has your spirit of adventure. From what you've told me and from what I have observed, Vito has much of your confidence, and Svetlana is like your survival instinct. But what I'm wondering is, do you have a personality that holds most of your anger?"

"Chester does."

"No, he has your frustration. I'm talking anger from abuse suffered when you were younger. None of your personalities are violent, and so I wonder if there are more that haven't shown themselves."

"There's one that talks to me occasionally, he says terrible things and makes me feel awful. I try to tune him out, but some of the things he says I already believe about myself, like that I'm selfish and don't deserve a family. I have a memory of him, but it's vague. He's hurting someone in it, and it looks like he's in juvie. I used to think I had dreamed him, but after he started talking I realized he was real."

"Does he have a name?"

"I think so, it's just on the tip of my tongue, but for the life of me I can't remember what it is."

"Has he given any indication as to why he treats you this way?"

"No, I don't know why, he just does."

"He may have been a protector at one point, taking abuse for you. In a lot of cases of MPD, a personality may start out as a protector, but later become a persecutor for unknown reasons. I can't say for sure without studying him, but it sounds like that to me. But Mike, I want you to know that the things he says aren't true. You aren't selfish, and you deserve a family just as much as anyone else does. I know it may be tempting to listen to him, but I want you to remember that you have people who love you and that you have the same rights as everyone else. Whenever he says something to hurt you, tell someone, don't keep it secret."

"Should I be afraid of him?"

"As long as he's showing no signs of coming out, I wouldn't worry. If he does start showing himself, tell your parents and me immediately, okay?"

"I will. Doctor, what about my other personalities? The ones that don't come out as much and don't have names."

"Well, so far I've only seen two, so it's hard to say. Carrot Top seemed more developed than the one that came after him. He talked about having toys and a big family and living in a nice home. He's mentally around five years old, and that's probably close to the same age you were at when you developed this disorder. I believe he represents the happy childhood you should have had but didn't. The other was very angry, but curiously more angry at you than your parents, even though they were the ones inflicting the damage. He said it was because you made him take the abuse for you, but I think it goes deeper than that. I once read about another patient with MPD, and she had a personality similar to this one. The one you mentioned before I believe is a protector turned persecutor, but because of the developmental level this one is on, I believe it's partly a manifestation of guilt."

"Guilt about what?"

"In most cases of child abuse, children are likely to blame themselves instead of the perpetrators for what happened to them even though it wasn't their fault. But even if they do blame themselves, some part of them is angry at their persecutors for the pain they're put through. When the abuser is a parent, the child may feel guilty for thinking bad thoughts about them and try to suppress that anger, which in the long run does more harm than good. In your case, suppressing that anger manifested in at least one alternate personality that feels so guilty about thinking bad thoughts about your parents that it hates you and by extension, itself. Some may take this to the extreme of causing self-harm. Be on the lookout for alters like this, as well. If you wake up and find unexplained cuts or other injuries, tell your parents and me immediately. If anything ever seems strange, don't be afraid to tell us."

"You mean stranger. I've already got strange covered," he said with a little smile.

"Oh no Mike, I've seen far stranger than you," she said as she returned his smile.

"Thank you for helping me, Dr. Lace. I'm sorry I got so mad at you before and yelled at you."

"That's quite all right. Honestly, I would be more worried if you hadn't gotten worked up and angry, you need to express these feelings, bottling them up doesn't do you any good. Little explosions prevent big explosions, that's my philosophy."

"I kind of had a bigger explosion after I got home, I broke a lot of Holly's things," he said sheepishly. "I broke her snowglobes, her picture frames, and even her antique vase. I feel really bad about it."

"I see. Well Mike, you made a mistake, you've owned up to it, and you're not going to do it again, are you?"

"Oh no, never."

"That's one of the things that separates you from your personalities, the ability to learn, grow, and move on with your life. Your personalities are incapable of developing past the stage they're at now, they'll always be the same. The ones that are less developed are stuck in the past and can't move on. Your main ones may be able to learn new things, but they'll always have the same mindsets and they'll stay at the mental age they're at now. They're likely to repeat the same mistakes over and over, but you can learn from yours and avoid them. Your mind will change and grow, and every day you'll become a better Mike than you were yesterday."

"I hope so."

"I know so."

"Thank you, Dr. Lace," he repeated with a smile.

After his appointment, when Mike came back out, Jack said, "What's up, doc?"

Mike looked confused, he looked over his shoulder. "Are you talking to the doctor?"

"Do you mean to tell me you don't know who Bugs Bunny is?" asked Jack incredulously.

"No, am I supposed to?"

"Just you wait until we get back home, are you ever in for a treat."

Jack drove Mike back home and went to his movie collection.

"Holly's not a big fan of cartoons or anything animated, but she doesn't know what she's missing. Ah! Here we go, Looney Tunes."

Jack put on the DVD and they sat down on the couch. Mike didn't know what to expect, and he thought it was really weird when animals started talking. But after a few minutes of watching, Mike started liking it more and more. He relaxed and stopped hugging his knees to his chest, and by the end of the first cartoon, he was doubled over laughing. It was the first time Jack had ever heard him laugh, and it warmed his heart to see him so happy.


	12. Adjusting

With Mike's condition, there were several adjustments Jack and Holly had to make to accommodate him. Twice a week they would have meat for dinner, and twice a week they would go vegetarian. This satisfied Vito and Svetlana, for the most part. There was no satisfying Chester, however.

They started occasionally taking Svetlana to gymnastics tournaments and Vito to the gym. If they didn't, they would just take off and do it anyway, at least this way they knew they were safe. There was another personality that had only spoken to them once directly that they didn't know well yet, Manitoba, who loved the outdoors, so they started planning camping trips to keep him happy. They recorded each personality in action so that Mike could see what it was like to other people. It weirded him out a bit, and it was surreal to think that his body had the capability to do things like Svetlana's stunts when he tripped over his own shoelaces. It was hard to believe it was him in those videos.

They also tried to keep his alters from being triggered. Svetlana was agreeable and didn't come out too often, and Chester usually didn't stay out for long. Vito and Manitoba weren't concerned with Mike's wishes and they stayed out as long as they wanted and did whatever they wanted. They didn't yet know Manitoba's trigger, but it didn't take very long for them to figure out Vito's. It became obvious when they went to the community swimming pool one day before the end of summer. Mike took off his shirt, and Vito immediately came out. Thinking quickly, Jack picked his shirt off the ground and shoved it back on him, and Mike came back.

Every morning and every night for a while after that, one parent would take Mike's shirt off and the other would put another on him as fast as possible. This worked for a time, until one night when Mike went with Jack to Pierre's Restaurant to watch him work.

"Wanna hear a joke, Mike?" asked Jack as they went into the kitchen and he put on his apron.

"Sure!" Mike loved his jokes.

"So there's these two muffins in an oven, they're both just sitting and chilling out. One of them suddenly yells, 'Oh man, it's hot in here!' And the other muffin replies 'Holy crap, a talking muffin!'"

Mike cracked up at that and Jack laughed with him. Holly didn't always get his sense of humor, so it was great that Mike did.

"Are you really the head chef Ja- Dad?" he asked. He was still getting used to calling him dad.

"That's right, they'd be lost without me."

Jack showed him how they prepared lobster and pasta, and all the seasonings he used. He showed him all the ins and outs of the kitchen and how everything worked. Mike was eager to learn about it all.

"Maybe you'll be a chef someday, Mike."

"I don't know, I kind of want to be an actor."

"I didn't know that! You should join the drama club at school when you're old enough, get some experience under your belt. You'd be a great actor, Mike. But I'm still going to teach you to cook, girls love a guy who can cook."

"I don't want a girlfriend yet."

"Oh, you will," he said with a wink.

"Where's the bathroom?"

"Second door on your left."

Mike went to use the bathroom, but on his way back his shirt snagged on a coat hanger. It only pulled his shirt up halfway, but Vito had been contained too long and he seized the opportunity. He ripped the shirt off and went into the dining area. He scanned the room as classical music played and found his target.

"Hey babe, wanna take the Vito for a spin?" he asked one of the customers.

"Aren't you a cutie," she said with a smile.

"Why does everyone say that?" he asked in frustration. "Why does no one take me seriously?"

"Hey kid, get lost," said her boyfriend.

"I ain't no kid, bro. Now if you'll excuse us, the lady and I are gonna get to know each other a little better."

The guy stood up. "I said, get lost."

"Derrick, he's just a kid, give him a break."

"Oh, I'm gonna give him a break if he doesn't get out of here."

Derrick was three times his size, but that didn't matter to Vito. He socked him in the jaw.

Derrick's face went beet red in rage. He swung a fist at Vito and punched him in the eye and knocked him down flat on his back.

"Stop it, Derrick, stop it! Leave him alone!" cried the girl.

Vito got right back up and he punched him in the lip and split it open. Derrick socked him in the ear so hard it made him see stars, but he still wouldn't give up, and kicked him in the face. Derrick came at him again, but Vito stuck out his foot and tripped him and he landed on the dessert cart.

All the waiters and waitresses were trying to calm everyone down, but with little success. Jack and the rest of the staff heard the commotion and came out to see what was happening. Derrick, now covered in dessert, was about to knock Vito into next week when Jack saw the fight and became enraged.

"Hey! Get away from my son!" said Jack as he shoved Derrick away from Vito.

"Oh, the short fat man thinks he can tell me what to do!" He punched Jack in the nose, and made blood gush from it. He wasn't sure if it was broken or not, but it felt broken.

"Ayo, butt out old man!" said Vito. "This is my fight!"

Jack swung a fist into Derrick's stomach, making him double over in pain.

"Don't you ever touch my son again," he growled.

Three men finally came to break up the fight. Everyone in the restaurant was staring as both Derrick and Vito tried to break free to finish their fight. Jack had never been in a fight or had to be restrained before, this was a new experience for him.

"That's enough!" said the manager when he came out to see what all the commotion was about. "What is going on here?"

"This kid was harassing me and my girl!" said Derrick.

"I am not your girl anymore, Derrick. That was completely immature and uncalled for!" she turned around and left the restaurant.

"Oh, come on, baby! Don't be like that!" said Derrick as he followed her out.

"Whose child is this?" asked the manager angrily.

"For the last time, I am not a child!" said Vito angrily.

"Mine, sir," said Jack.

"Get a shirt on that boy and get him out of my restaurant, and then come see me in my office."

The music in the background had stopped playing, and the whole scene was very awkward for everyone. The man holding Jack back let him go. He didn't know how he had lost his shirt or where it was now, so he took off his jacket and put it around Vito's shoulders and zipped it up. The man holding him back let go as Mike was coming back.

"Dad? What's going on?" He could already tell that he was going to have a black eye. "Why is your nose bleeding?"

"It's nothing son, we're just having some difficulties tonight. Come with me."

He took Mike out to the car. "Just stay in here, I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Okay Dad." Mike was confused, but he decided to hold off on his questions. He wondered why he had to leave, why his lip was bleeding and why his eye was sore, and why he was wearing his dad's too-big jacket with no shirt on underneath.

Jack was able to staunch the flow of blood from his nose, and he went back inside. He ignored the stares from the others as he went to the bathroom to clean himself up a bit before seeing his boss. He got the blood off his face, but it wasn't coming off his shirt. He went to his boss's office and knocked.

"Enter."

He went inside and sat in the chair before his desk.

"Sir, I did warn you beforehand about my son's condition."

"You didn't tell me it was that bad. You've got Dr. Jekyll for a son."

"He wasn't in control at the time, he doesn't even know what happened."

"That doesn't excuse his behavior. What do you think the customers think?"

"That what that man did was inexcusable. Picking fights with children? How low can you get?"

"I was told your son threw the first punch."

"That doesn't give a full grown adult the right to beat up a child."

"Jack, you know I like you. You're the best chef we've had in years, but this cannot go on. You've already had to miss several days of work because of him."

"I'm just trying to be there for him when he needs me. If you knew was he's been through-"

"We'll stop getting customers if they know the man preparing their food has a mentally-ill son."

"It's none of their business what goes on in my family."

"Profits will drop if incidents like this continue to happen. I'd be surprised if half the people stay after seeing that."

"It wasn't his fault, he's trying so hard to manage his condition. Can't you give him another chance?"

"That was his one chance, I will not have a repeat of that incident. Jack, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to let you go."

"I wouldn't want to work in a place that treats my son this way, anyway," said Jack as he rose to his feet. He left the restaurant with his head held high. He went to the kitchen one last time to collect his things and to get some ice for Mike. Once he was back outside, he put his head in his hands.

Cooking was his passion, and he loved working at this restaurant. These people were his friends, he loved serving the customers, and he got to do what he loved for a living. Not to mention, the job paid well, and so their income would be greatly affected by this.

For a minute, he let himself be angry at Vito for costing him his job. Why couldn't he walk away from a fight? Why did he have to start fights in the first place? And why did he have to hit on every attractive woman he came across? But that's just the way Vito was, and he couldn't change that. Maybe if they let him come out more often he wouldn't go so wild, but he didn't know for sure. All he knew was that he couldn't let Mike see how upset he was.

He went back to the car and got in the driver's seat. He handed him the ice and said, "Use this for your eye and for your lip. You're going to have a shiner, but the ice should keep it from being too bad."

He started to pull out, and Mike asked, "What happened? Why are we leaving?"

"It's not important, son."

"Did Vito do something?"

"A little, but nothing major."

"That's why I'm wearing your jacket, isn't it? Did he get you in trouble? Is he the one who punched you?"

"No, one of the customers went on a rampage, got us both pretty good. Vito thought he could help the situation." He managed a smile for him.

"Did he get you fired?"

"No, I quit. They started using a spice in the food that irritates my allergies, and I just can't be around it. Besides, that job was getting boring anyway, I could use a change."

Mike wasn't convinced, but he let the matter drop. After he went to bed, Jack told Holly what happened.

"Oh Jack, I'm so sorry. I know how much you loved that job," she said as she hugged him.

"I'll find a new one soon enough, surely there's someone out there willing to hire an ex-head chef. Don't tell Mike though, he's got enough to deal with already."

Little did they know that Mike was listening in from the top of the stairs where they couldn't see him. He went back to bed, angry at himself and at Vito.

* * *

><p>With Jack's resume, it didn't take him long to find a new job. However, instead of being the head chef at an upscale restaurant, he was now the head chef at a local diner.<p>

"You want to go in to work with me to celebrate my first day on the job?" Jack asked Mike as he was getting ready for work.

Mike was sitting on the couch reading a book. He shook his head no. "I think I'd rather stay here."

"Why don't you want to come with me? I told them all about you, and they're dying to meet you."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"I won't force you, but I really wish you would."

"I don't want to get you in trouble again."

"I told you it wasn't a big deal. I told them about your quirk, and they were very understanding. Come on Mike, let me show off my new son."

Mike gave in and agreed, but he was very worried about the whole thing and he was determined to keep the others in check this time.

Jack went in to start cooking someone's order, and Mike sat at the counter, swinging his legs in his seat.

An Asian waitress with short black hair came to take his order. "What can I get you?"

"Nothing, I'm not here to eat. I'm here with my dad."

"Are you Jack's son? He told us about you."

"What did he say?" said Mike apprehensively.

"He told us how cool you are. Hey Ted! Come meet Mike!"

A large black man in an apron came over. "So this is the famous Mike. Your dad's only just started working here and you're all he talks about."

Mike still felt nervous, but he liked these people.

"I'm Kira, nice to meet you, Mike," said the waitress. As she reached out to shake his hand, she accidentally knocked over a cup of coffee onto his shirt, and Chester came out.

"Dang teenager! You spilled hot coffee on me! Is that any way to go treating your elders?"

"Sorry, sorry!" said Kira. She took a bunch of napkins and tried to help him clean up. Mike came back and, by the looks on their faces, he must have switched.

"I switched, didn't I? Which one was it?"

"Um, some old guy? Does he have a name?"

"Chester. He always comes out when I'm feeling frustrated. I'm sorry, I try to keep him in."

"Don't be sorry, kid," said Ted. "Chester doesn't seem like a bad guy."

"I think we might have a spare shirt in the back, you could change out of that one."

"No!" said Mike, and they looked at him in surprise. "I mean, I don't mind wearing coffee on my shirt. I'll change when I get home."

"Suit yourself. Again, sorry about that, I'm such a klutz."

"Hey Mike, you like apple pie?" asked Ted.

"I don't know, I've never tried it."

"Well, you're about to."

Ted cut a piece of the pie on display and put it on a plate and gave it to him with a fork.

"I don't have any money."

"I ain't askin' for money. Employee's kids get special benefits, don't you know?"

Mike tried a bite. "It's delicious!"

"I thought you'd like it. You're a tall one, but you sure are scrawny. You could use a few pies."

"So Mike, have you seen any good movies lately?" asked Kira.

"My mom showed me Total Warriors."

"I love that movie! What was your favorite part?"

While Mike ate his pie, Kira and Ted talked to him and told funny stories about their experiences from working at the diner. They had to serve customers, but whenever they weren't busy they were telling him jokes or asking him questions about his favorite movies. Mike was very relieved that they didn't seem bothered by his condition, and that they really seemed to like him. He hadn't expected that.

When Jack was on his break, he spoke to Mike while Kira and Ted were busy.

"I see you've made some new friends."

"Yeah, they're really great. But Dad, why did you lie to me about your old job?"

"What do you mean?"

"I heard you telling Mom about what happened. You lied, you said you quit, but Vito got you fired! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to get upset and blame yourself. I know it wasn't your fault."

"But that doesn't change the fact that you lost your job because of me. I've been living with you for less than a month and I made you get fired." He hung his head in shame.

"Mike, do you know what motivation is?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm going to explain it anyway. Motivation is the reason we do things. Without it, no one would ever do anything. If you're going to do something, you have to have a reason. Sometimes that reason may not make sense, but as long as there's a reason, there's motivation. Now, what is the biggest motivator when it comes to working a job?"

"Money."

"That's right, money. People will work at jobs they utterly despise to pay the bills and put food on the table. They may work that awful job for years, just for money. But after a while, money may no longer be a big enough motivator. You still need the money, but you don't want to work there anymore because you can't stand it. So, you go and find another job, one you don't hate. It may not pay as much, but if you love your job, that doesn't matter as much."

"But you loved your job at that restaurant! You didn't want to get fired."

"True, I did like that old job. But they wouldn't accept you there, they refused to see you as a person. They only saw you as a problem because of your quirk, they didn't see a little boy trying as hard as he can to fit in and live his life. Here though, they aren't as quick to judge. They're more willing to give you a chance, instead of setting you up for failure like at the old place. They see you as a human being, a person with feelings, and they're willing to forgive you when you mess up. No amount of money in the world can buy that. I won't work in a place where my son is treated like a problem because of a condition he didn't ask for. I'd rather work here for less money where my family is respected."

"But Dad, please don't lie to me anymore. I want to know what my personalities do when they come out, even if it's not good. If they do something they shouldn't, then I need to try to make it right."

"All right son, no more lies. From now on, we'll tell you when these things happen, but only if you promise not to beat yourself up over it. Deal?"

"Deal."

After Jack's shift ended, Mike said goodbye to Kira and Ted and they went back home. He went outside to ride the old, rusty bike that had once been for foster children, and he rode for hours. But when Holly called him inside for dinner, he didn't answer, another voice did. She saw Mike high up in a tree, and he yelled something down to her. He was so far away she couldn't make it out.

"I didn't get a word of that, but it sounded foreign."

"Svetlana?"

"I don't think so, but whatever accent that was, it was not Canadian."

"You know, today he asked me not to lie to him anymore when his personalities come out. I told him we would tell him the truth about it from now on."

"But Jack, is that really a good idea? I mean, what if one of them does something really bad, and telling him will only upset him? I don't like to lie, especially not to him, but I think we need to to protect him."

"But then he won't trust us anymore, and that will be much worse. At least he has us to help him deal with these things, if he stops trusting us then we won't be able to support him like we need to. If we tell him the truth, he'll tell us the truth."

"Okay, we'll be honest with him. It is easier than keeping secrets. But we're still going to keep the secret about the personality in the asylum, technically we agreed to keep that secret before this deal was struck."

"Yeah, I can't see any good coming from telling him that now. Maybe when he's older and better able to handle it."

"We'll start now. When he comes back inside, we'll tell him he dug up the backyard."

"When did he do that?"

"Right now!"

Jack looked and, sure enough, he was digging a hole in the backyard. They ran outside to stop him, but Mike got back control right as they came out, and so the hole wasn't deep and was easily filled back in.

* * *

><p>Mike was very nervous on his first day of school, but excited too.<p>

Holly dropped him off at school instead of having him take the bus. The bus wasn't ever really fun for anyone, especially when your personalities threatened to come out and humiliate you.

He couldn't remember ever being around so many kids before. It was a little overwhelming, but in a good way.

He had been told to find room three, and when he found it, he just stared at it for a moment. This plain wooden door would lead him to a classroom of new friends and a world of knowledge.

He opened the door and went inside. He found the desk with his name on it and sat down. The other desks were mostly filled, and a few more kids came inside. At the front was a woman with gray hair and glasses. She looked friendly.

When everyone was at their seat, the woman stood and smiled. "Good morning students, and welcome to a new year at school." Her voice was light and delicate. "My name is Ms. Askins, and I'll be your fourth grade teacher. Most of you already know me, but there is one student who is new here and doesn't know us yet. Mike Skinner, would you please stand with me so we can introduce ourselves?"

Mike didn't want to be singled out, but he did as the teacher asked. He got out of his seat and came to stand beside her in front of the chalkboard.

"My name is Mike Skinner, but the teacher just said that…" said Mike nervously. He hoped he didn't sound stupid.

"Class, take turns introducing yourselves to Mike. Lucy, would you start us off?"

Lucy gave her first and last name. She had curly blonde hair and light blue eyes. She was very pretty, he had to tear his gaze off her. The rest of the class gave him their names, as well.

"Now class, there's something you should know about Mike. He has a little problem…"

_Oh no,_ thought Mike as his eyes widened in horror. _Surely she won't tell them! She can't, can she?_

"He has a mental disorder called Dissociative Identity Disorder. That means he acts like other people sometimes, but you should still try to be his friend. You'll just have to be patient with him. That'll be all Mike, you can return to your seat now."

Mike was mortified. The diagnosis was bad enough, having it announced to the entire world was the worst thing that could have ever happened to him. He could feel the eyes of all his classmates on him, and he could only imagine what they must think of him now. He wanted to run out of the classroom, he wanted to crawl under his desk and hide, but doing anything would just make him look even stranger. The best he could do was pretend to not care and hope the others would forget soon. Like they ever would.

After class in the lunchroom, three boys and two girls came to sit by him, but not to be friendly.

"So, what exactly is this disorder thing?" asked one of the boys.

"It's nothing, really." But at that moment, Chester decided to come out to complain about the food. "What is this slop? Nothing here even resembles food. Is this an apple? Why isn't it apple sauce? I'll break my dentures if I have to try to bite into this!"

Mike returned to hear the others laughing at him, and he had no idea why. He noticed a lot of other kids in the lunchroom were staring at him like a sideshow attraction.

"So that's what it is!" said a girl. "The teacher could have saved us all some time and just said you were crazy."

"I'm not crazy," but he said this with no conviction and they just laughed louder. The biggest boy ate the French fries off his tray and knocked the rest of the food onto the floor.

"Oh yeah, this is going to be a fun year. I hope you've got plenty of others in there you want to show us. Don't introduce them all at once though, I might bust a gut."

They got up to leave, and one of them shoved Mike off the bench he was sitting on. They laughed as he pulled himself up.

It got even worse in gym. He wasn't in control for any of it, but when kids started mocking him in girly Russian accents, it wasn't hard to figure out who had been in charge.

As he was walking down the hallway, some of the boys who had made fun of him before knocked the books out of another kid's arms. Mike went over and helped him pick up his books.

"Hi, I'm Mike, we're in the same class," he said to introduce himself. He handed the boy back his books, but he looked horrified and repulsed.

"I know exactly who you are, you stay away from me, you freak!" The boy took his books and took off running in the opposite direction. Out of everything that happened that day, that was the most painful.

He spent the rest of the day trying to pretend he was invisible. They mostly left him alone after that, and he was very disappointed with his first day. This was supposed to be fun, he was supposed to make friends, but he had failed in both miserably. Mal was about to comment to make him feel even worse, but he changed his mind. The kids in school had done his job for him, he was not needed here.

After school that day, Mike told Holly what had happened during the drive home. She immediately did an illegal U-turn right there and drove straight back to the school. Her face was impassive, but Mike could feel the anger radiating off her. He wondered if he should have just stayed quiet about the whole thing.

Once she was back in the school parking lot, she got out of the car and slammed her door shut. With one hand she held Mike's hand, and with the other she called Jack and quickly explained what had happened. He told her he would be there in five minutes.

She took Mike inside and went to the secretary and demanded to see his teacher and the principal immediately. At first she refused, but Holly wouldn't back down, and so she called them both to see if they were available. They were.

By the time Holly was able to see them, Jack arrived, looking just as enraged as Holly. His face was red with anger, it looked like a vessel in his forehead was about to burst. They all went to the principal's office.

"What is the problem, Mrs. Skinner?" asked the principal.

"Mike told me that his teacher, Ms. Askins, told the entire class about his condition without consulting me, Jack, or his psychiatrist first. She didn't even ask Mike if he was okay with it, or warn him before she did it."

"I was only trying to protect the other children," said Ms. Askins.

"Protect them from what?" Jack demanded.

"I don't want anyone getting hurt or upset by his disorder, surely you can understand. Wouldn't you want to know if someone in your class had a mental disorder like his?"

"It was none of their business, and his disorder is not a threat to anyone. But even if it was, it was not your place to tell them, especially when you have little to no knowledge about it. Have you done any research on the subject?" asked Holly.

"I know enough, it seems to be a very straight-forward problem."

Holly laughed humorlessly. "In other words, you have no idea what you're talking about and you likely scared the other children and made them think Mike was some kind of freak to be avoided. Do you realize how much harder this will make it for him to make friends?"

"Even if you were as smart as you seem to think you are, it was not your place to tell those children anything, it was Mike's," said Jack. "Now everyone will judge him before they even know him. It's hard enough for the new kid to fit in, now it'll be next to impossible. He should have had time to adjust to the school and make friends before anyone was told about his disorder. Do you see what you've done?"

"The other children had a right to know," said Ms. Askins.

"I have to side with Ms. Askins," said the principle. "I feel that it's in everyone's best interest if we know what to expect from Mike. However, the subject will not be brought up in class again, understood?"

"Yes sir," said Ms. Askins.

"Don't bother, Mike won't be there," said Holly as she stood to leave. "We're pulling him out of school, and we'll teach him at home, instead. Come on, Mike."

"Mom, if it's okay with you, I think I'd rather stay."

"Mike, I'm not sure if that's such a good idea," said Jack.

"It'll be harder to make friends now, but I still want to try. If I stop coming to school, that'll make me look even weirder, and I'll never make any friends. If I stay, maybe I can prove to them that I'm not as weird as they think. I really want to make a friend, and I don't want to give up on my first day. Can I stay, please?"

Jack and Holly exchanged concerned glances, but Jack said, "If you really want to sport, you can stay."

"But if at any time you change your mind, you don't have to go to school anymore and we'll teach you at home, okay?" said Holly.

"Okay."

* * *

><p>Over the course of the next year, despite missing out on two years of school, Mike learned quickly and easily caught up with his classmates. He should have been honored for it, but the school quietly brushed it aside. It didn't matter to Mike though, he was just happy for the opportunity to learn.<p>

Every day he made the effort to talk to people, but no one would speak more than two sentences to him at a time, and that was if he was lucky. It made him feel awful, but he refused to give up hope. School was miserable for him, and the only thing keeping him going was the hope that one day his efforts would pay off and he would be accepted. He didn't want to be alone the rest of his life, he didn't want his disorder to dominate his life or ruin his chances of being happy, and so he wasn't ever going to stop fighting. Surely there was one person out there who wouldn't mind being around someone like him. He just had to look in the right place.


	13. Holidays

That December, they spent Christmas with Mike for the first time. Since he couldn't remember his past, in a way this was his first Christmas, and he couldn't have been more excited.

Jack let him help string up Christmas lights on the house the week after Thanksgiving. They would have normally waited longer, but Mike was too excited to wait any longer than that. He was a little embarrassed by how eager he was, the other kids at school were in the holiday spirit but not to the extent that he was. He was too old to get excited about stuff like this. He tried to tone it down, but he just couldn't, and in the end he decided that he wasn't celebrating for them, and he could get as excited as he wanted. Besides, it's not like he didn't have an excuse, this was his first Christmas with his new family, after all. His parents were just as excited as he was, this was their first Christmas with a child of their very own, and they wanted to make it very special.

On Christmas morning, Mike woke up very early but didn't want to disturb his sleeping parents, so he quietly snuck down the stairs and into the living room to sit by the Christmas tree. He turned on the lights and, in the dark, the tree was dazzling. The presents underneath it reflected the light and shone brightly. Outside the window, he could see snowflakes drifting from the sky. It was only a light snow, but it was still technically a white Christmas. He was so excited he felt like he was going to explode, but he managed to keep himself from opening his gifts before it was time.

An hour later, Jack and Holly woke up and came down the stairs. They were still groggy and bleary eyed, but when they saw the look of pure joy on Mike's face, they didn't feel sleepy anymore.

They let him open his gift first. "A new bike! This is so great, thank you so much!"

"Glad you like it, son. You'll have to try it out later and take it for a spin."

He opened the gifts from his grandparents next. Todd sent him a wooden ship with a note attached that read, _Mike, this ship was hand-carved by a man I met in Ireland. Since I can't take you on my old boat, I thought you might like this one. Have a good Christmas, hope to see you soon. –Pops._

Wendy sent him a blue woolen sweater that she had knit herself, along with a note that read, _I couldn't decide what to get you for Christmas, nothing seemed good enough. But then I remembered how skinny you are, seriously boy, turn to the side and it's like you disappear. Since you have no insulation from the cold, I thought I'd make you a sweater to keep you warm (and I don't think Vito would be very eager to come out when you're wearing this). I used to knit these for Jack and he didn't appreciate them very much, but maybe you will. In case you don't, I also sent some candy and hot chocolate, perfect for the cold winter days. Anyway, I've got to run, I'm going skiing soon and I can't be late. I can't wait for you to come visit, I'm counting the seconds. –Love, Nana._

Mike immediately put on the sweater. It was too big for him, but that just made it cozier and more comfortable. He ran upstairs to put the ship on the bedside table in his room. Every year after that, it became sort of a tradition for his grandfather to send him a souvenir from his travels and for his grandmother to knit him a new sweater.

"Open your gift next! I hope you like it."

Mike had no money to buy gifts with. Both parents had offered to pay for gifts themselves, but he didn't want to take their money from them when he had no way of paying it back. He instead decided to make them something, but he was worried they wouldn't like it.

They opened the gift, and they both gasped.

"I knew you'd hate it, I'm sorry!" said Mike, ashamed of himself.

The gift was a drawing of the three of them together as a family. He had managed to capture all their features and put them on paper. He had captured the twinkle in Jack's eye, the kindness in Holly's smile. In his own face, there seemed to be a trace of sorrow, his eyes had a haunted expression in them that would be easy to overlook. Was this the way he saw himself when he looked in the mirror? But he had a smile on his face, they all did. They all looked happy together. It was one of the best drawings they had ever seen.

"Mike, this is amazing," said Jack. "I didn't know you could draw."

Mike looked at them in shock. "You really like it?"

"This belongs in a museum, it's wonderful," said Holly. "It's the best gift anyone has ever given us. I'll find a frame for it, this is going on the wall." She hugged Mike and said, "I love you so much."

Jack joined in on the hug and said, "You're the best son a dad could ask for."

"I love you guys, too."

She got up to find a frame, and wiped away tears as she did. It was such a beautiful gift, and Mike had given it from the bottom of his heart. It meant more to her than any gift from the store.

After they hung the drawing and finished unwrapping gifts, Mike went outside to try his new bike. He rode it around the house a few times, and it was exhilarating. He had never felt so free.

For the rest of the day, they watched Christmas movies and ate sugar cookies. His personalities kept making appearances, but they didn't stay very long, and so Mike got to watch most of every movie. They mostly came out to complain about the movies and request their favorites.

When Mike could no longer keep his eyes open, he went up the stairs to bed, but not before saying quietly to himself, "I hope every Christmas is like this."

* * *

><p>"<em>It's the most wonderful time of the year,"<em> Mal sang. _"Yeah right."_

He could hear the others having their own Christmas celebration far off. He kept waiting for one of them to bring him a gift and try to redeem him with the power of love like in the movies. He could definitely see Mike being stupid enough to try something like that.

"_Is someone torturing a pack of cats over there?"_ he yelled as they started belting out their own rendition of _The Twelve Days of Christmas_. _"Think of the children!" _They only sang louder to get on his nerves.

He saw a half-formed alter creeping past. _"Hey you, care to tell me the true meaning of Christmas?"_

It ran away from him as fast as it could. Mal just laughed at it, but then he was left alone again with nothing to distract him from his thoughts.

Every day, Mal had to mentally try to get rid of all the memories he held that nagged and gnawed at him. It was harder at Christmas though, because Jake had had a few fond memories of his three Christmases on earth.

Mike's mother didn't do anything for Christmas, usually during this time of year she spent most of it in bed. Because of this, the winter months were the most brutal on Mike when he was a baby because it meant he was even more neglected than usual. But after he turned three, necessity taught him to take care of himself, and once he was able to take care of himself, winter wasn't so bad anymore.

He tried to celebrate Christmas on his own, going based off what he saw on TV. He hung up his socks over his bed, and he drew a picture of a Christmas tree and hung it on the wall in the living room. He would write letters to Santa, or try to anyway, and mail them. He would sing Christmas carols to himself in bed before he went to sleep, though he didn't know most of the lyrics or he got them wrong. He drew himself Christmas cards and opened them on Christmas morning.

When Jake was born, he would look for things around the house and wrap them in towels and blankets and give them to him. He did the same for Lizzie on her one and only Christmas. He told Jake about Santa Clause and his reindeer.

"Mike, we gotta put out cookies for Santa!" said Jake in one of Mal's memories.

"We don't have any. All we have are crackers, maybe he'll be okay with that."

"We have to give him something, give him the crackers!" Jake snatched the crackers out of Mike's hand and put them on a plate with some milk and put it on the table.

Mike suddenly remembered Lizzie in her cradle. Since she almost never cried, he had to remember to feed her without her telling him. His mother hadn't gotten out of bed in over a week, so five year old Mike had to be the adult and look after both his little siblings. He wasn't about to let Jake and Lizzie suffer from neglect like he had, he took it upon himself to take care of them. It was too much responsibility for a little kid, but he didn't mind. It was better this way, they didn't have to be afraid when there weren't any adults around.

Mike went to get her out of her cradle in the living room. He got her a bottle and sat down with her on the couch. She resisted the bottle at first, but Mike got her to drink.

"Will Santa bring Lizzie a gift too?" Jake asked as he sat down beside Mike. "Even though she's just a baby?"

"Of course he will, Santa brings gifts to everyone."

"What did you ask for in the letter?"

"I didn't know what to ask for. I thought about asking for a dog or a toy train, but there's so much to ask for and Santa only brings you one thing. I'm sure I'll like it, whatever it is. What did you ask for?"

"I want a bike to ride on, like the other kids have. I could go so fast on one of those things, it would be like flying."

Once she had finished her bottle, Mike took Lizzie to the sink to wash her. He hated the feeling of being dirty, and he assumed she did too.

As he gently bathed her in the warm, soapy water, he secretly worried about what he would get them for Christmas. He had no money for presents, and there was no guarantee that Santa would come. He only visited good kids, and since Mike was convinced he was a bad kid, he didn't think Santa would bring them anything. Maybe he would, but he couldn't take that chance.

Mike took Lizzie out of the bath and wrapped her in a towel. As he did, Jake used a chair to climb onto the counter to get something to eat. Mike noticed and he ran and set Lizzie down on the couch. He ran back and said, "Jake, get down from there!"

Jake lost his balance and fell on top of Mike, knocking them both down on the floor.

"You know you're not supposed to climb up on the counter, you could get hurt."

"I was hungry, and I was going to get you something too."

"Let me get stuff down from now on." Mike used the chair to climb on the counter the same way Jake had. He took down a box of cereal and poured them both a bowl. When their mother didn't buy food for a long time and they started to run low, Mike would ration the food and he would only eat every other day to make sure Jake didn't go hungry. If it got too low, he wouldn't eat at all. For now though, they had enough, so they could both eat.

While he was pouring out cereal, a prize fell out. He couldn't believe his luck; he stuffed the prize in his pocket. Before he ate his, he went back to Lizzie and dressed her, and he held her in his lap while he ate dinner. He let her eat some of his cereal but tried to keep her hands out of the bowl so she wouldn't make a mess. Mother hated messes.

"You don't think Daddy will come back home tomorrow on Christmas, do you?" Jake asked.

He had come last year, that was a terrible Christmas. Jake had only been two at the time and so he didn't remember it, at least not as well as Mike did.

"I don't know. I hope not."

"Do you… do you think he's going to start hurting Lizzie too, when she's older?" Jake asked this in barely over a whisper.

Mike eyed the bruise on Jake's cheek. It was several days old now and it was fading, but he knew it still hurt. He wished that their father would hurt him and not his little siblings, he might be a bad kid but he knew for a fact that Jake and Lizzie weren't. He hugged his baby sister closer to himself. "I'll protect her, I'll do whatever I have to do to keep her safe. But let's not think about him, let's just think about Christmas."

Once he had finished eating, they turned on the TV for a while. Mike turned on _A Christmas Carol_. He and Jake both loved the Christmas specials that came on this time of year. They sat on the floor and watched the movie. It was the Muppet version, and it made them laugh. Mike tickled Lizzie's toes while they watched, making her giggle, too.

When the movie was nearly over, Lizzie started to cry in Mike's lap, and it worried him.

"What's wrong, Lizzie?" He cradled her and rocked her to try to lull her to sleep. "It's okay Lizzie, don't cry. I'm here, you're safe, don't cry."

He sang _Rock-a-Bye-Baby _to soothe her. Jake knew he was supposed to stay quiet when he was putting her to sleep. During the commercial break, he admired the picture of the Christmas tree Mike had drawn. He also thought about what else he wanted for Christmas.

Lizzie stopped crying and fell fast asleep. Mike put her back in her cradle and rejoined Jake to finish the last of the movie. Once it was over, he had to get Jake into bed.

"I don't wanna go, I'm not sleepy," he said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Santa can't come inside and leave presents if anyone's awake. You want a present, don't you?"

"Yes! I'll go to sleep, I'll go to sleep right now!" Jake ran up the stairs and Mike ran after him.

"Goodnight, little brother," said Mike as he tucked him in under the covers. He then climbed in his own bed.

"Good night, big brother."

Mike waited until Jake was asleep, and then he snuck out of their room to prepare. He took out the last sugar cookie he had been saving just for this occasion, he would give it to Jake and Lizzie tomorrow for a special treat. There was no snow outside, and so he cut up some paper to look like snow, and he drew a snowman and hung it on the door. He took some lightbulbs that he had painted red and green days earlier and replaced the lightbulbs in the kitchen and living room. Lastly, he took out the cereal box prize and wrapped it in a mitten. He took some paper and folded it into a flower for Lizzie and wrapped it up for her, and he drew himself some pictures and put them in an envelope for himself and put them all under the Christmas tree drawing. Satisfied, he went back to bed. Caring for his little siblings always left him exhausted at the end of the day, but he was so excited that it didn't matter.

Jake woke him up in the middle of the night and said, "Mike, I had a nightmare. Can I sleep in your bed?"

"Sure Jake," said Mike groggily. He moved over to make enough space for the two of them. "You know, you sleep in my bed a lot. From now on, you don't have to ask anymore, just get in, and that way you don't have to wake me up."

"Thanks, Mike."

Mike soon fell back asleep, but it only felt like a minute passed before Jake woke him up again.

"Mike, Mike wake up! Santa was here, he came to our house, and he left us presents!" It took him a few seconds to remember what day it was, but once he did he eagerly got out of bed. Jake jumped on his back and he carried him downstairs. He ran to Lizzie's cradle and picked her up and carried them both to the tree drawing. Jake marveled at the decorations, to him they were amazing.

Mike worried that Jake would be disappointed that he couldn't get him a bike. But when Jake found his gift and opened it, he gasped and said, "An airplane! I always wanted one, now I really can fly!"

Jake ran all through the house making his plane fly. Mike was so happy and relieved that he liked his gift. He took out Lizzie's gift and unwrapped it for her. She held onto the flower in her tiny hand and sucked her thumb.

"Maybe someday I'll be able to get you a real present," he whispered to her.

He took his own gift next and opened it. He had drawn a train, a dog, and several other things that he wanted. But his favorite was a drawing of him, Jake, and Lizzie together. Jake had the bike he wanted, and they were standing next to a real Christmas tree. He was going to hang this up by his bed.

The memory ended, and Mal wished he could just forget it all. As far as he was concerned he had always been Mal. Still, those old memories gnawed at him, just as the half-formed alters gnawed away at Mike during his anxiety attacks. They didn't hurt him, he just didn't like the baggage. He hated having that weakness, it was the only chink in his armor. If the others ever did find out he wouldn't let them use it against him, but the fact that it existed at all and he couldn't get rid of it was maddening.

The memory amused Mal nonetheless, and he laughed at it. Mike had no idea the two siblings he loved so much would never see another Christmas. What would he have done if he had known? More than once Mike had considered running away with them, but he never did because he knew he wouldn't be able to take care of them on his own. But if he had known they were going to die anyway, would he have taken the chance? Things might have improved if he had. Someone might have found them and taken them in, they all might have found a loving home. Jake and Lizzie could have grown up, Mike would never have lost his mind, and they all could have stayed a family.

If the police had ever actually bothered to do more than a once-over of the house, they might have prevented all this from ever happening in the first place. If his mother had killed him as well, they wouldn't even be here. If Mal hadn't lost his control over the mind, where would they be right now? Would they still be in the asylum, or would he have escaped and moved on by now? He had to wonder how different Mike's life would be if Jake and Lizzie had never died in the first place.

"_So many ways Mike's life could have gone, so many different paths…"_ he mused.

The others started belting out _Joy to the World. "I am going to strangle each and every one of you!"_

He really needed to kill something, but there was no one in reach. He covered his ears against the other's singing and he had to settle for imagining their slow and painful deaths. It just wasn't the same.

* * *

><p>They didn't know Mike's date of birth, and so they celebrated his eleventh birthday on the anniversary of the day they adopted him. After opening gifts and having cake, they took him to the zoo.<p>

"Wow, a lion!" Mike exclaimed. "And over there are gorillas! I never thought I'd get to see them in real life!"

Every exhibit excited Mike, he had trouble leaving each one. Though Jack and Holly had been to the zoo many times in their lives and they had seen all it had to offer, Mike's excitement was contagious and they got excited right along with him.

The trip went well, until they went into the gift shop. They were going to get Mike a little souvenir.

"Hey Mike, look at this fedora," said Jack. "Bet you'd look real sharp in one."

He put it on his son's head, and then turned his back for just a second. When he turned back around, Mike wasn't there.

_He probably wanted to show Holly,_ he thought to himself. She was in another part of the store, he'd catch up with them after he finished looking at the hats.

Holly came over and caught him looking at hats. "Don't you have enough hats at home?" she asked.

"You can never have too many hats. Did Mike like the fedora?"

"What fedora?"

"Didn't he show you?"

"I thought he was with you."

"Oh no," they said in unison.

They immediately left the gift shop and split up to search for Mike. They each took one half of the zoo to look through. With every passing second that they couldn't find him, they both became more panicked.

Jack found him first, but he found him in the worst place possible: in the crocodile habitat.

"Mike!" he called out to him. "Mike, get out of there!"

Mike was petting the crocodile affectionately.

"You are a lovely sheila, aren't ya? Just beautiful. You poor thing, they have you listed on the sign as male, no one knows you're female! I'd be angry too if someone made a mistake about my gender. It was so rude of them to just assume you were a bloke without even botherin' to check!"

He kissed her head and then moved on to the next habitat, which was the kangaroos. By the time Jack caught up, he had already moved on again to the lion's den. Mike was slowly approaching the lion. It eyed him and gave a warning growl.

"Easy now big fella, I'm not here to hurt you. What a fine coat of fur you've got, and what a regal mane. Truly you are the king of the beasts."

He pet its fur, but pulled back in time so that it couldn't sink its teeth into his arm. By now there was a crowd forming, and people were snapping pictures and recording the boy petting the animals. The guards were notified of what was going on, but when they went to get him out, he had already left.

Jack saw him go, but he wasn't sure where he had gone. He found him again with the monkeys. He was hanging in the trees with them, talking to them like he had the lion. He quickly moved on and left the monkey pen, and Jack chased him to the tiger habitat.

_Is he trying to get himself killed?_ He wondered. He could see more zoo guards on their way to stop him, he had to get to him first.

Jack climbed over the fence into the tiger pen, being careful to not make a sound. There was more than one tiger, and he was afraid one of them would attack him, but he couldn't leave him in there. Two were already setting their sights on Mike, while a third was sizing up Jack with its teeth bared. He saw a hammock hanging right above him, and he snuck up to it. When Mike moved under it, he released it and caught him in it like a net. Mike struggled as he tied it and carried him out of the pen over his shoulder. He didn't wait for Holly and immediately left the zoo as everyone stared at him. He called her cellphone to let her know he had him. He didn't let Mike out until they were in the car.

"That was way outta line, ya wily dingo!"

"I had to get you out of there before those tigers had you for a snack."

"You're scared of tigers? I've seen scarier opossums."

"I'm sure you have. You're Manitoba Smith, right?"

An arrogant grin crossed his face. "Manitoba Smith, treasure hunter and survival expert extraordinaire. And you're Mike's new dad. Do you normally trap him in a net and carry him around like that? That's some grade-A parenting going on here."

"Actually, that was the first time I've had to resort to that. Like I said, those tigers looked ferocious. Stay away from wild animals."

"Mike might have to listen to you since you're his dad, but I don't take orders from anyone. You know, his last father ran me down with his car, so you'll understand if I'm not too chummy with you."

"His last father? Manitoba, what can you tell me about Mike's past?"

"That is none of your business, dingo. All you need to know is that there isn't anything that can take down the great Manitoba Smith, especially tigers."

Jack sighed and took off the fedora. Mike instantly came back. When Holly came to the car, he told her and Mike what had happened.

"I can't believe you went into the tiger habitat just to get me out! You're so brave, Dad."

"Those tigers weren't as tough as their reputation would have you believe, but I'd appreciate it if Manitoba would put a lot of space between him and them from now on. He can play with the penguins if he wants, I've never heard of anyone being mauled to death by one of them."

"Manitoba would never agree to that, he only tackles the meanest animals, but maybe he'll be satisfied for a while. I hope he is, anyway."

"But what did you think of the zoo, Mike?" asked Holly. "Before the tiger incident."

"I loved it! Can we go to the aquarium next?"

Jack and Holly both pictured Manitoba in their minds swimming in the shark tank.

"We'll think about it," they said in unison.

* * *

><p>One Saturday in the fall, Jack came and woke up Mike early.<p>

"Mike, Mike wake up, I need your help," he whispered.

Mike woke up and yawned. He groggily said, "What is it, Dad?"

"I know it's a Saturday, your day to sleep in and do Mike things, but I was wondering if you'd like to help me pick out a gift for the boss."

"Why are you getting a gift for your boss at the diner? Is it his birthday?"

"Not that boss, I mean the real one. It's mine and your mother's wedding anniversary today."

"Anniversary? But-"

"Yeah, and I don't have a gift yet."

"Why'd you wait so long?"

"Because I just remembered last night. It's a good thing I remembered at all. Once, a few years after we were married, I forgot our anniversary. Just remember Mike, for when you get married someday: Don't forget the wedding anniversary. It was not an experience I want to repeat."

"What did she do to you?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing. She ignored me all day and gave me the cold shoulder and let me tear myself up over it. I asked her to just yell at me and get it over with. She told me to go upstairs and wait on the bed, and I awaited my final judgment. I stayed up all night waiting for her in dread, but she never came up, she fell asleep on the couch. It was awful."

Mike chuckled, and Jack said, "Don't laugh at me, it might be you someday. So, will you help me? You should know, it says in the child instruction manual that it's the kid's job to assist the father in trying times like these, it's the only reason men become fathers."

"Yay, I have purpose. And I know a little about fatherhood. Just let me get dressed and I'll go."

"We'll go out for breakfast. Be very sneaky, don't say a word to your mother. If she asks, tell her I'm taking you out to see A Bug's Life 2."

"That movie doesn't exist."

"She doesn't give a rip about animated movies, so she won't know that."

Mike got dressed and took his medication, and then came down the stairs.

"Morning Mike!" said Holly. "You're up early for a Saturday. Are you hungry yet?"

"Actually, I'm going to get breakfast in town with dad this morning. He's taking me to see a movie."

"Really? But they don't show movies in the morning."

"We're going to the arcade at the mall first."

"Oh, that sounds like fun, I'll join you."

"No!" said Mike too loudly. "I mean, um, it's just supposed to be a guy thing today, no girls allowed."

"Oh, okay, you boys have fun." He could tell Holly suspected something, but as long as he didn't blow their cover they were good.

Jack came down the stairs and said, "All right Mike, let's move out!"

They got in the car, and he was adjusting the radio, Jack said, "Does she suspect anything?"

"Of course she does, she's smart. But I don't think she's on to us."

"Then we're doing good, for now anyway."

He put it on a rap station. Neither of them liked rap, but Vito did. They took turns on which music genre they listened to each time Mike was in the car, and it was Vito's turn today. The music might be annoying sometimes, but it did usually make car rides go smoother.

"So, what do you have in mind for her present?"

"Um… I've been toying with a few ideas, but I was hoping she might have dropped a hint or two to her favorite son."

"She did mention a few days ago how much she likes her rings. But what about her bir-"

"Whenever she brings up her rings I do my Gollum impression, which she doesn't really appreciate. But rings it is! There's a jewelry store in the mall, we'll go there."

They went to a Waffle House for breakfast first. They both got chocolate chip waffles, Mike's favorite. Once they had finished they made it to the mall and went to the jewelry store.

"Now, we can't go too extravagant, but let's find something simple and elegant."

"So, what are you doing for her bir-" Svetlana suddenly came out and exclaimed over the jewelry. "Ooh, look at all ze pretty jewels! Svetlana vould look stunning in zem!"

Jack realized that this could be a good thing. When it came to buying gifts for a woman, having a woman's opinion was worth more than his and Mike's combined. "Svetlana, which of these rings do you think Holly would like the most?"

"Zis one!" she pointed at a very big, very expensive diamond ring.

"That one's nice, but I was thinking we'd go smaller."

She gasped, and Manitoba took her place. "You don't want that one, Jackalope. That's fool's gold. It's a fake."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Surer than I've ever been about anything, it's a scam. In fact, this one's a fake, and this one, and this one…"

He went through pointing out all the fakes. Jack said, "Keep your voice down, Manitoba. You might get us thrown out of the store."

"I'm savin' your tail here. You come home with fake jewels for your sheila, you'd be safer prickin' your thumb and going diving in a shark tank."

"Hey, you say these are fakes?" said a guy behind them. "What about these earrings in this case?"

Manitoba took a look and said, "Sorry mate, fool's gold."

"I bought earrings like this for my girlfriend a few days ago, I paid full price for fakes? I'm talking to the manager!"

"See, I'm doin' the world a favor. Don't you want to right this injustice?"

"I'm just trying to get a gift for my wife, not start a revolution. Are any of these real?"

Manitoba scanned the cases. "That ring, those earrings, that necklace, and this other necklace are real."

"Really? An entire jewelry store and only four items are real?"

"Hold on, I missed one. That brooch is real, too."

"Thanks Manitoba, I appreciate it."

Mike came back and said, "What was I saying?"

"According to Manitoba, only one ring in here is the real deal. Take a look at it, what do you think?"

Mike looked at the one he showed him. The ring was very simple, with a small blue sapphire in the middle with two smaller diamonds on the sides.

"It's beautiful, it would match her eyes perfectly."

It just happened to be in Jack's price range. They bought it and then went to the arcade to play for a while.

"Since I stopped you from sleeping in late, you get to kill some brain cells in here," said Jack as he handed him a few rolls of quarters. "Saturdays were invented to kill the brain cells gained during the school week, and I'm not about to deprive you of that right."

"I'll kill as many as possible."

"Good boy, that's what I like to hear," he said as he mussed his hair.

Jack mostly watched Mike play, but he played a few games of Galaga while he was there. They also played a few rounds of air hockey.

"We'd better go home now, sport. Your mom's probably at work by now, let's go home and fix something nice for dinner."

They went home and started working on dinner. They were to have steak by candlelight, and they were both very excited about it.

When Holly came in, they shouted, "Surprise!"

She smiled, and Mike hugged her. "We got you something, I think you'll like it."

"I had a feeling you weren't going to a movie."

"Happy anniversary, honey," said Jack.

She gave him a funny look. "Anniversary? Jack, that's in the spring, today's my birthday."

Comprehension dawned on his face and he smacked his forehead. "Birthday! I knew it was something!"

"You remember how we celebrated our last anniversary. We had dinner at home, and Mike was our waiter. He drew on a moustache and spoke in a French accent."

"Well, I remember now!" He said as he started banging his head into the wall. Mike and Holly tried hard not to laugh. "Mike, why didn't you stop me from making a complete fool of myself?"

"I tried to ask a couple times. I thought it was weird, but I didn't want to argue. I figured you had something planned for her birthday, too."

"Mike, the next time you see me screwing up this tremendously, you need to stop me. I'm counting on you, do whatever you have to do to spare me my dignity. Slap me if you have to, you should know by now my brain only works at half capacity."

"Well, at least you remembered that today is a holiday, just the wrong one," said Mike, grinning. "That's the important thing."

"Let me see my present," said Holly. Jack showed her the ring.

"Oh, it's beautiful. I forgive you for mixing up holidays," she said as she kissed his cheek. "Thank you both so much. It's still a good birthday present, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer for our anniversary."

"You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Mike probably will, I don't think I can," she said with a laugh.

"Happy birthday, Mom. We'll make you a cake tomorrow."

"I can't wait."

"I'll be sure to write on it, 'Happy not anniversary.'"


	14. The Lake

Mike was often beat up at school, no matter how hard he tried to be invisible around the bullies. No matter how many times Jack and Holly reported it to the school, nothing was ever done about it. It didn't stop until one day when Vito was sick of it and fought back for Mike, and beat them all to a pulp. After that they didn't beat on him anymore, but they still pranked him, or intentionally triggered his alters to humiliate him. He still refused to quit, even though no one would give him a break.

It was the worst during gym class. Mike had no memories of it, because Vito or Svetlana always came out. If they were playing sports, Vito took over. He wasn't the best on the team, but he often led them to victory. You'd think this would make him more popular, but it only made him look weirder to them. It wasn't as bad as when Svetlana came out, when they were doing gymnastics or running track. That gave them more ammo for insults than they needed.

Chester came out whenever Mike got frustrated in his school work. He often missed important parts of lectures as a result, but his grades didn't suffer too much from it. The thing that messed with his grades the most was when his personalities would skip school entirely. This didn't happen too often, but it happened enough to keep him off the honor roll.

One day, when Holly came to pick him up from school, she didn't know that Manitoba had been in control all day. It became apparent that it was him when he got in the car.

"Hey Mike, how was school?" she asked him. "Buckle your seatbelt, dear."

He didn't buckle up, and he said, "Try again, Shelia. But I had a great day, thanks for asking."

"Oh, Manitoba." She only made a half-hearted attempt to cover up her disappointment. He wasn't wearing a hat, so she wouldn't be able to bring Mike back anytime soon.

"Try to contain your joy there, Sheila. I'll have you know I'm much more fun than Mike. He doesn't know the first thing about treasure hunting."

Holly noticed a spider crawling on the dashboard. She shivered and tried to ignore it, she hated spiders and bugs. But then she noticed more spiders and other insects crawling on the seats, and her eyes widened.

"What on earth…"

She felt something run over her foot on the gas pedal, and she felt something slithering up her arm. She looked down and saw a snake in her lap, and she screamed and panicked. She swerved and almost hit a telephone pole.

"Hey, watch it Sheila! Where'd you learn to drive?"

Holly pulled into the parking lot of a pharmacy and got out of that car as fast as she could. She screamed and knocked away the snake. Bugs were crawling all over her, and she frantically tried to brush them off. Two mice jumped out of the car and scurried off.

Manitoba got out of the car and picked up the snake and put it around his neck. In his hand he held a frog, and he was petting it. "What's the deal, kookaburra? You're not scared of snakes and insects and spiders, are ya?"

"What do you think?!" she yelled at him. "Where did they all come from?"

"I collected them today! Those classes bore me, they don't teach anything useful, like how to find fresh water in the wild or cut your own arm off in a pinch. I took the day for myself and found all these critters in the woods. I was keeping them in Mike's backpack and in my pockets, but they must have escaped. They're so intelligent," he said affectionately.

"Now my car is infested! I can't drive a car with all those things crawling all over me!"

"That's fine, I'll drive. Mike may be just an ankle biter, but I'm much older. Driving will be a cinch."

"Even if you do have experience driving, if the police pull us over they're not going to believe you're an adult, and I would go to prison."

"Only if we get caught."

"I'm not taking that risk. Get all those things out of my car, now!" she yelled. She didn't often lose her temper like this, but she really did not like creepy crawly things at all. Mike's personalities just had a way of getting under her skin sometimes that made her want to punch something, Manitoba in particular, because he took the most risks and was always doing things like this.

"Leave it to a woman to get all riled up over a few critters," he muttered. He got out all the creatures he could, but he couldn't find them all.

"I swear I had more than this, I think some of them have taken up permanent residence in your vents. They're all harmless though, this snake is sweeter than a newborn baby. Well, except for the spider, it bit me a few minutes ago and I'm starting to get woozy."

"Was it a black widow?"

"Maybe."

"And it's running free in my car?"

"It's her car now."

"I left my cellphone at home, I can't call 911. I'll have to drive you to the hospital with those things in my car."

"Might want to make it snappy there, Sheila. It's getting pretty hard to breathe," he wheezed.

"The things I do for love," Holly groaned as she kicked the car tire. "If you weren't already dying I would kill you."

They got back in and she drove off, going against every instinct telling her to ditch the car and never look back. Manitoba was completely calm during the entire drive, as though possibly dying was just an inconvenience. He kept up a one-sided conversation until he passed out and slumped over in his seat. Holly was too worked up over the possibility of a poisonous spider crawling onto her face at any moment to notice.

She got him to the hospital quickly and they gave him anti-venom. Holly couldn't sit down, not because of Manitoba being bitten, but because she could still feel the bugs and the snake crawling on her skin.

Mike made a full recovery, and he got to leave the hospital the same day. Holly made Jack drive the car home, and he later set off a bug bomb inside it to kill off the rest of the insects and the black widow inside. No matter how many they set off though, bugs kept crawling around. She wouldn't drive the car anymore, so they had to sell it and buy another one.

From that point on, Manitoba wasn't allowed to ride in the car until he had emptied his pockets and backpack and undergone a pat-down. It took Holly a long time after that to get rid of her new phobia of spiders and snakes crawling on her in the car.

* * *

><p>Manitoba wasn't the only one who put Mike in danger.<p>

One night, Jack woke up and went down to the kitchen for a midnight snack. He opened the fridge, but noticed the kitchen door slightly ajar. He was sure he had closed and locked it earlier, but he concluded that he must have been mistaken. He went to close it, but he saw Mike sitting on the steps, his shirt off and a cigarette in his mouth.

Jack didn't approve of smoking at any age, especially not the ripe old age of eleven. How had he even gotten his hands on them in the first place? He was about to yell at Vito to get that thing out of his mouth, but he stopped himself. Vito would never listen to him if he used that approach. If he yelled at him or tried to force him to stop, it would only make him smoke double what he was smoking now out of spite. He had to be clever about this.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked as he went outside.

"Get lost, Jack," said Vito, not bothering to look at him.

"Well, I'm sitting anyway," said Jack as he sat down next to him. Vito ignored him.

"How long have you been smoking?"

"None of your business. This isn't my first pack, though."

"You know, smoking is very bad for your health, especially at your age."

"I'm not a kid, thank you very much."

"Well, Mike is, and that's his body you're using right now. You're damaging his lungs by smoking."

"I live for today."

"Mike will have to live with the consequences of your actions."

"Mike can get over it."

"And if you damage your lungs, working out will become a lot harder. How are you going to build and show off your muscles if you can't even catch your breath?"

Vito hesitated for a second, but then drew in more smoke.

"What's your ideal girlfriend, Vito?"

This was so unexpected and out of nowhere that Vito actually turned to look at him. "Pardon?"

"You heard me. What do you look for in a girl? Come on, I'm curious."

This was a conversation Vito didn't really want to have with Jack, but he did like talking about girls. "Blonde, well-endowed, tanned. I'm not too picky on the hair, but the other two are a must. I won't date a girl who looks like a corpse."

"That's what I expected. You want girls like that to like you back, right?"

"I'm Vito, what's not to like?"

"Well, most girls don't find smoking attractive, not since we found out it's bad for your lungs, anyway. Not to mention, you'll smell like an ashtray. Holly says she wouldn't ever date a guy who smelled bad, not even if he was the hottest guy on earth. You might not like her, but I think most girls are in agreement. If you keep smoking, girls aren't going to want to be around you."

Vito said nothing. He just blew out another puff of smoke.

"But you know what girls do find attractive? Guys who are talented. Even if you are hot, guitar, painting, cooking, and other skills like those are just icing on the cake. What skills do you have, Vito?"

Vito puffed himself up proudly. "I'm better at dancing than all the other losers, I'm hotter than any other guy around, and I can surf any wave."

"We don't have any beaches around here, how are you at skateboarding?"

He was about to answer, but then he stopped. He seemed to deflate a little. "I've never rode a skateboard, but I know I'd be awesome at it."

"How about we make a deal. If you promise to give up smoking for good, I'll buy you a skateboard of your very own and you can teach yourself to ride it. You can pick anyone you like, but if I catch you smoking again, I'll take it away and you'll never see it again. What do you say?"

Vito thought it over for a moment as he breathed in more smoke. He was very conflicted, and didn't know what he should choose. Finally, he said, "Anyone I want?"

"We can go to the mall tomorrow and pick one out."

"I can't smoke anymore? Not ever?"

"Don't you think it would be a worthwhile trade?"

"Fine, you got a deal," he said grudgingly. "But I'm gonna finish this pack."

"You can finish the one you've got. The rest go in the trash."

"But this one's almost gone!"

"You'd better savor it, then."

Vito let out a huff and finished the cigarette. He grudgingly gave Jack the rest and he threw them away.

"Are you sure skateboarding will bring in the chicks?"

"You're going to be the next Tony Hawk, I can see it now."

The next morning, Vito got up early to go to the mall. He agreed to put a shirt on so he would be allowed in the store. He had to fight to keep Mike from coming back. Jack drove him to the mall, and he took a long time in picking which skateboard he wanted. He eventually chose a black one with red flames, and even though it was the most expensive one in the store, it was worth it to Jack for Mike's health. He also bought him a helmet, knowing full well that he would never use it. Vito stubbornly kept up an indifferent expression despite his excitement.

Vito immediately took it out and started teaching himself to ride. He had several mishaps at first, resulting in scrapes and bruises, but he quickly got the hang of it and became very adept at it. He learned to do all kinds of stunts, several of them dangerous. Jack worried that maybe it was a mistake to get him into skateboarding, but he figured a few potential broken bones were better than lung cancer. Plus, his personalities were always doing dangerous things, so this was nothing new.

For a few weeks afterward, Mike experienced symptoms of withdrawal. Jack explained to him before they started what had been going on and how he had bribed Vito into quitting. He explained to him that his body was going to go into withdrawal and the symptoms it would bring so that he wouldn't worry once it started. They didn't know how long Vito had been smoking or how many cigarettes he smoked at a time. Mike was young and small, so the nicotine withdrawal affected him strongly. His symptoms weren't severe, but they were still difficult.

He couldn't sleep more than a couple hours each night, and he had bad headaches and cravings for more nicotine. It was very stressful for him, but he stayed strong and never asked for cigarettes, even though he really wanted to. His parents took turns sitting up with him at night and distracting him from the cravings. Jack broke out his old collection of Marvel comics for him to read.

"This guy here, that's Iron Man. He doesn't have any superpowers, but he's a genius and he built a power suit of armor," said Jack. Mike had never seen any comic books superheroes before, and so he was telling him about them. It was three in the morning, but talking about comic book heroes kept Jack wide awake, he'd loved them when he was a kid, and he still did.

"Who's the green guy?" Mike yawned. He was so tired, but these heroes excited him.

"That's the Incredible Hulk. He started out as a normal guy, a scientist named Bruce Banner, but an accident with gamma radiation makes him transform into the Hulk when he's angry."

"Like how Chester comes out when I'm frustrated?"

"Kind of, yeah."

"Who's the guy with the hammer?"

"That's Thor, god of thunder. He comes from Asgard, and that hammer is no ordinary hammer. It's Mjolnir, Thor's mighty weapon. These three and others are part of the Avengers, some of my favorite comic book heroes."

"Can I read all the comics in your collection?"

"They've been in storage for years, it's about time someone took them out and enjoyed them."

Mike read the comics when he couldn't sleep, and it helped him forget the powerful cravings. He admired all the heroes in those comics, and he wished he could be like them. He especially looked up to the Hulk, who was able to use his curse to do good and help people. He was still a hero, and he had friends and people who cared about him.

It was a huge relief to them all when his body finally recovered. By the time he recovered, he had read through all Jack's comics, and he loved them so much he went back and started reading them again.

* * *

><p>During spring break, Mike went to visit his grandfather. He lived in a log cabin by a lake, with a garden out front. Todd had come to pick him up, and they were just now arriving at his house.<p>

"I like your house," Mike commented as he was getting out. He carried his suitcase inside.

"I built it for my wife when we were first married, and it still holds up," he said as he followed him inside the door. "You'll be staying in Holly's old room, but I have to warn you, she was a big fan of several bands when she was a teenager, and she expressed it in her room. You'll see what I'm talking about. She was going through a phase."

Mike found her room, and found that Todd wasn't kidding. Every inch of space on the walls was covered with posters of Queen, The Rolling Stones, and AC/DC. He knew she was a fan of rock music, but he didn't know she had liked it this much. He listened to her music with her sometimes and enjoyed it, but if he did for too long Chester would often come out to complain about it. He knew sometimes she would play it when Chester was getting on her nerves just to irritate him, but she didn't do it much. It was weird to be surrounded by so many faces, but it didn't bother him. He thought it was cool and a little surreal to see this part of who his mother was.

After he finished unpacking, he went back into the kitchen where Todd was waiting for him. "We're going out for dinner, you get to pick the place."

"Um, maybe we should eat here." He didn't want to risk his personalities coming out and embarrassing his grandfather.

"I'm a terrible cook, so to keep from starving we'll have to eat out. Burgers okay with you?"

"Sure, that sounds good."

They drove to a burger joint and went inside to eat. As soon as he had finished ordering, he felt Vito trying to force himself out.

"Excuse me," said Mike as he took off running for the restroom. There were a lot of other people and he had to navigate through them without knocking anyone over. He had to get a handle on his alters, he didn't want to mess everything up.

He made it to the restroom and stood in front of the mirror. He pinched himself and scrunched up his eyes, fighting a battle of wills with Vito. There had been some girls in line, if he got out he would hit on every single one of them and get him and Todd thrown out, like when he had cost Jack his job.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" said a six year old boy as he exited one of the stalls. "Did something break in your brain?"

This was just fantastic, now he would have to explain to this kid why he was acting this way, and that was if Vito didn't take over.

"Mike, thank goodness I found you," said Todd. He hadn't even heard him come in. "Are you transforming?"

_Transforming? That's a weird word for it_, Mike thought.

"What do you mean, transforming?" asked the kid.

"It's a good thing I came when I did, you don't want to be around Mike when he transforms. He gets all big and green, and he destroys whatever is in his path."

"You mean he's like the Hulk?"

"That's right, so you'd better get out of here, kid. I don't know if he can keep it in much longer."

At that moment, Vito hit even harder, making Mike groan with the exertion of keeping him back. The kid ran out of the bathroom yelling, "Mom!"

Once they were alone, Todd came over and put his hands on Mike's shoulders. "You gonna be all right, Mike?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute." He finally won and kept Vito from coming out, and he could relax. "My head hurts, but at least I kept Vito away."

"Here, take this for the headache, I get them all the time," said Todd. He handed him a pill to take, and then they left the bathroom to go find a table. Todd went to get their food and then sat down with him.

"Thanks for covering for me back there," said Mike as he unwrapped his burger.

"Anytime. That was fun, actually, we should do that more often."

"Next time you be the Hulk," said Mike, grinning.

"No, I'm Black Widow, silly."

Mike's headache soon went away and he was able to enjoy his burger and fries. As they were leaving, the boy pulled over his mother and said, "That's him, that's the kid I told you about!"

"I'm so sorry he's bothering you," said his mother, looking embarrassed. "He thinks you're the Hulk."

"Kid, I'm not the Hulk," said Mike. "I'm actually Spiderman."

The kid gasped. Todd winked at Mike and they left to go back to his house.

The second day he was there, it was raining too much to go outside, so they stayed inside and watched Todd's old western movies. Mike wasn't a big fan of westerns, but he did like the action scenes. Todd was a smoker, but whenever he smoked he would go out on the porch, away from Mike, so as not to tempt Vito.

The third day, the rain stopped and the sun was shining, and so they spent the day at the lake. Mike couldn't swim, so Todd taught him how. He was very reluctant to get in the water.

"I'm going to sink like a rock," he said from the shore, afraid to even get his toes wet. Todd was already doing backstrokes.

"Please, you're a twig, twigs float."

"I don't."

"You know, my grandpa threw me in this very same lake to teach me to swim."

"Don't throw me in the lake!"

"I probably won't, but you're going to learn, one way or another. Swimming is important, and it's a lot of fun, too. Come on Spidey, are you a chicken?" Spidey was his new nickname for him after the fast food incident.

"I might be a chicken, but I'm a live chicken."

"You don't want your grandpa to be better at swimming than you, do you? Think how embarrassing it would be if that got out."

"I have personalities that come out and embarrass me every day, I'll live."

"Mike, I promise I'm not going to let you sink. You're going to have to trust me on this, otherwise we're going to get absolutely nowhere. Will you trust me?"

"Okay," said Mike as he took a tentative step into the water. He kept going until the water was up to his waist. At least the water wasn't too cold.

"Now, first I'm going to teach you to float on your back. If you ever get tired, or if you get a cramp, you can float until you're ready to swim again."

He had Mike lie down in the water, and he showed him how to relax his body and just let the water carry him. It was very difficult for him at first, but once he realized he wasn't sinking, he wasn't so afraid. The rest of Todd's lessons went more smoothly than the first, and by the end of the day Mike was swimming on his own without help from Todd.

"This is so much fun!" said Mike.

"I told you!" said Todd. "Tomorrow we'll work on swimming underwater."

"Underwater?" Mike wasn't so sure about that.

"Trust, Mike."

"I trust you."

The next day, Mike put up less resistance to swimming underwater, and he soon caught the hang of it. Every day for the rest of the week, Todd helped him improve, and they raced each other through the water. There was a tire swing hanging from a tree that Holly used to swing on when she was younger, and so he got to swing off it into the lake. Mike no longer feared the water, he forgot why he had ever been scared in the first place. Every day he had to force himself to leave the lake.

On the last night of his stay, they had a campfire outside the house. They were making s'mores, though Mike was going freestyle by skipping the crackers and sandwiching pieces of chocolate between two marshmallows. Todd had been telling Mike the scariest stories he'd ever heard, and though he was freaked out, he didn't want him to stop.

"That's enough for one night, if I tell too many I'll start summoning ghosts and werewolves to our fire."

Mike shivered; nevermind that those things weren't real, campfires had a way of making everything a thousand times creepier.

There was a pause, then Mike said, "It's so cool to be staying in Mom's old room, it's hard to believe she was ever my age."

"It's even harder for me to believe she grew up. I'm very proud of her, but I do miss her. I'm glad she's got you now, I can see how happy she is with you. She always wanted kids, and when she found out she couldn't have any of her own it devastated her."

"I didn't know she couldn't have kids, I just thought they preferred to adopt."

"I thought it was Jack's fault at first, wouldn't have surprised me, really. But no, she was the one who was barren. They tried for five years before they went to see a doctor, and he gave them the bad news. When they found out, it almost killed their marriage. It was a tough time for both of them, being unable to conceive is hard for most people to accept. They came very close to separating, but they were able to work things out. They started taking in foster kids not long after that."

If they had split up, they never would have adopted him. He wondered what would have become of him if they hadn't taken him in. But more than that, he was glad they stayed together because they seemed so happy together. They argued sometimes, but they always made up. They could always make the other laugh.

"Do you not like my dad?" asked Mike. From what he'd heard from his parents, neither grandparent liked their in-laws.

"It was bad enough I had to give my daughter away, but I would have preferred a doctor or a lawyer, at least. Jack isn't really what I had in mind. She dated a lot of guys, one of them she only dated to make Jack jealous, he showed promise."

"Who was he?"

"I don't remember his name, it started with a V, though. But that's not the real reason, I pretend it is but it's not. The real reason is that the year they got married is the same year my wife died. She had lymphoma, you see. We tried to fight it, but she just kept getting worse and worse. I denied it the entire time, I kept telling her she was going to get better, but it was a lost battle. Holly had already announced her engagement to Jack before it started, but they knew she wouldn't make it to the wedding, so they brought in a pastor and did the ceremony in front of her hospital bed, and it made her so happy. She died a few weeks later. I always resented Jack after that, because I had to lose my wife and my daughter at the same time, it just felt like theft. I'm not really angry at him anymore, but I've been holding this grudge for so long, why stop now?"

"It would make Mom happy if you could," said Mike gently. "Your wife probably would have wanted everyone to get along. She wouldn't want to see you so sad."

"You're wise for your years, Mike. Maybe I will someday, no promises. But I know she would have loved you. I can see bits and pieces of her in you, sometimes I forget you're adopted. You're both shy and gentle, but you're fighters, too. She fought cancer with everything in her, and I saw the way you were fighting Vito before. I wish she could have met you, she really wanted grandkids."

"Me too. But at least I've got a great grandpa."

"You sure do," he said with a smile.

The next morning, Todd drove Mike back home. As he was leaving, Mike said, "See ya, Pops."

"See ya, Spidey."

"Spidey?" said Jack.

"Inside joke," Mike replied, grinning.


	15. Broken Glass

That same year, Mike spent the summer with his nana, where he celebrated his twelfth birthday. She lived in a cottage by the sea.

"I used to live in the old orphanage where we kept the children, but now that house is empty. With no kids running around in it, it's too big for little old me, so I moved to this smaller one," said Wendy as she showed him around her house. It was a very beautiful house, made of stone and decorated with seashells. She talked about it like it was tiny, but it was bigger than the one he lived in.

"Why don't you run the orphanage anymore?"

"Everyone thinks I'm too old to be working, and maybe they're right, I'm so old I don't even know how old I am anymore. I do miss it though. My little orphans come see me every now and again, and that's always nice. Even nicer now that I have company," she said with a smile.

Mike's room had a window that let him look out at the coastline. His room was painted in a soft shade of blue, like the sky.

Every day, Wendy would show him different crafts to make, like she had with the origami when she had first met him. She loved making things, and she passed on that love to him.

"I notice you get anxious sometimes. Nothing helps with that more than doing something with your hands. If your hands are busy, you're too busy to think about whatever was worrying you. It's probably why you like drawing, it relaxes you."

This proved to be true, the more he did with his hands the calmer he felt. He showed her some of his drawings, and each one pleased her. She fawned over him and made him feel loved and important.

Every day, they would have a picnic on the beach. She would bring her tea kettle and they would have tea together. Mike didn't very much care for tea, but he drank it anyway because he enjoyed her company. She would tell him stories about her orphans or his father or fascinating people she had met. She had led an interesting life and met many interesting people, and he hung on her every word. On one of their picnics, he asked her about the girl she had known with MPD.

"Whatever happened to Esmeralda?" he asked as he lay on his stomach on the beach towel. This was important to him, if she was able to make something of her life, then maybe he could to.

"I wish I could say, I haven't seen her since she left us when she was eighteen. I worry about her sometimes, I worry about all my little orphans, especially the ones that never found loving families to take them in. You know, used to my policy was to make sure that when people came looking to adopt, they were okay people. I would hammer them hard and even make them take me to their home, I wasn't about to let my children go off with people who might do them harm. But poor Esmeralda, she never found a home, and she was such a pretty girl, smart too. I never learned much about her life before coming to stay with me, but I know it wasn't pretty.

"She was teased and picked on by the others, though I did everything I could to put a stop to it. Fortunately she was able to make some friends, but she often felt inferior to the others and she ended up making some bad choices in an attempt to fit in. I told her that she was no less of a person because of her disorder, and it just made her more interesting. I told her that it made her stand out, but to not let that be the only thing that made her stand out. I told her to go out and make me proud, and so now I'm giving you the same advice. You're gonna do great, kid," said Wendy with a smile.

After hearing Esmeralda's story, he was all the more grateful that he had found such great people to take him in. His situation could have been far worse. He hoped to one day meet this girl, to maybe see some proof that he would be okay, in the long run.

Wendy moved on to talking about his father, she had no end of stories about him.

"When your daddy was little, he refused to believe superheroes weren't real, and he was so devastated when he was forced to accept the truth. It was the same with Santa Clause. He also wanted to be a giraffe, probably because he knew he'd never get very tall."

"I don't think he'd be very happy if he knew you were telling me all this," Mike giggled.

"He used to get picked on for that, you know, but he was very good at laughing at himself, and that helped a great deal. Oh well, at least he's handsome to make up for it. I can see where you get your good looks from," she said as she poked his nose. "And he's really not all that short, but you men are so concerned with stature. But you know, he also wanted to be a pilot, until he discovered his fear of heights. He's a great chef as you know already, so I'm glad he didn't go into flying. He was always a good boy, though I didn't really like his choice of wife."

"Why don't you like Holly?" asked Mike.

"It's nothing personal, she's a good girl, it's just that she doesn't really meet my standards for Jackie. My son's wife didn't deserve him, either. My late husband was the only Skinner boy to ever choose the right girl," she said with a wink.

"I think Holly is a great mom."

"Well, she brought you to me, so maybe she is. Now, have I ever told you about when I met John Lennon? I've always been a big fan of the Beatles, and at one of their concerts I got the chance of a lifetime."

Wendy did most of the talking, Mike was more content to listen. But when he did have something he wanted to talk about, she would listen like he was the most interesting person in the world. She told so many fantastic stories, he wished he had stories like that to tell. When he mentioned this to her, she replied with, "You will, someday, and I look forward to hearing them."

Whenever his alternate personalities appeared, she was never bothered. On the contrary, she enjoyed their company and would have conversations with them until Mike came back. She got along best with Manitoba, who shared her spirit of freedom and adventure.

"Manitoba, have you ever been on any ziplines?"

"I have a feelin' I'm about to be," he said with a grin.

"The zipline goes right over a pack of bears, so if the zipline breaks you end up smack dab in bear country, and they show no mercy. I'd like to see them try to take us down."

"I didn't think it was possible, a sheila after my own heart."

Wendy Skinner truly believed that her grandson was perfect, and if anyone said otherwise, she would fight them on it. One day, she was watching Vito surf. She enjoyed surfing as well, but Vito didn't like to be seen with her because he considered it uncool. She respected his wishes and let him surf by himself. As he was surfing, he crashed his board and the frustration brought out Chester. Some boys saw Chester complaining and, needless to say, they thought it was weird.

"Who's that boy?" asked one of them.

"My grandson," said Wendy proudly from her spot on the shoreline.

"I think the loony-bin is missing a nutjob," said the boy, and his friends snickered.

Wendy stood up and whacked the boy on the back with her cane. She didn't like the cane, she didn't always need it and it was annoying to have to carry around, but in circumstances like this it came in handy.

"Ow! Hey, you can't do that! I'll tell my dad!"

"You go right on ahead, tell him Wendy Skinner sent you! Now get off my beach!"

"It's not your beach!" he yelled, but he and his friends moved to another part of the beach. Everyone around here knew Wendy Skinner, and they knew better than to mess with her.

A couple girls walked by and noticed Mike, who was now himself again. "He's cute, don't you think?" one of them said to the other.

"Move along, nothing to see here," said Wendy, giving them a stern look.

The girls gave her a funny look, but kept on walking. Mike came back and ran up on the beach. Wendy handed him his shirt, which Vito had pulled off earlier.

"So, anything exciting happen while I was gone?" he asked as he shook the water out of his hair.

"No, nothing at all. And now that Vito's had his fun, I'm going to join you out there in the water."

"All right! Let's go!"

Nearly every night, Wendy took Mike out to do something fun. Sometimes they would go bowling, or to the movies. She even took him jet skiing, but when he showed hesitance to hang gliding, she didn't force him to go. She never slowed down, she was always doing something and ready to move onto the next thing, sometimes leaving Mike with a feeling of whiplash. She would occasionally use her cane, but when she didn't need it she would pass it to Mike and he'd carry it for her.

When he mentioned to her that he wanted to be an actor someday, she made him promise to get her a ticket to his first performance, and she started taking him to the theater so he could watch other actors performing. She had a friend who had a motorboat, he took them out on the ocean a few times. They did everything the city she lived by had to offer, and he had a blast. All the excitement made it easy for him to get to sleep each night.

When it was time for Mike to go back home, he hugged her and said, "You're the coolest nana ever, no, you're the coolest person ever, no contest. Can I come back next summer?"

"You'd better come see me next summer, I'd keep you year round if I could. Keep practicing your origami, and I'm going to practice those drawing techniques you showed me. Thanks for coming to see me, and for having tea parties with me, even if you don't like tea."

When he got home, Holly nearly strangled him with a hug. "Oh, I missed you so much. The time just dragged by."

"I missed you too, Mom."

"He's turning blue, Holly," said Jack.

"Sorry!" She let go but kissed his forehead.

Mike turned around and gave Jack a hug, as well. "So, how was your trip?"

"It was awesome!" He told them about everything that had happened during his trip.

* * *

><p>While Jack and Holly were able to come to an understanding with most of Mike's personalities, more or less, the one they had trouble connecting with the most was Chester. He rebuffed every attempt at conversation, and he constantly complained no matter what they did. He was the one that got on their nerves the most, and they often snapped at him when he wouldn't stop complaining.<p>

"Orange juice from a carton? Back in my day, if we wanted orange juice we had to go outside, pick oranges and squeeze 'em with our bare hands, and that's if they weren't ruined by frost or locusts!"

"If you want fresh squeezed orange juice, you can squeeze it yourself, grandpa!"

But when they did lose their temper, they had to take a minute to calm down. Chester was aggravating, but snapping at him wouldn't make him any less crotchety. Sometimes they had to leave the room just to keep from wringing his neck.

They were able to keep Mike's personalities from being triggered most of the time, but when they come out without being triggered, they couldn't bring Mike back until they let him come back. It was because of this that they were trying to get to know his other personalities and be friendly with them. Since Mike would likely have them forever, they figured it would be easier if they all could get along, but Chester was going out of his way to make this very difficult. They would try to suggest fun things to do, but he complained about every single one.

One day, they went to the park to have a picnic. The three of them were playing catch with a frisbee when another kid accidentally hit Mike in the head with a football. This triggered Chester.

"Sorry!" said the boy as he ran over to get his football. "I didn't mean to hit you."

"You dang kid! Don't you know to aim before you go throwing things? You coulda killed me!"

"It was an accident!"

Jack ran over and said, "He knows, he's just teasing. Here's your football," he said as he handed him his football.

The kid gave Chester a weird look, and then he ran off to rejoin his friends.

"What gives you the right to interrupt me? I was teaching that little miscreant a lesson!"

"I'm sure he learned it, now come on Chester, let's go back to our picnic table."

Until Mike came back, the game was over. Holly didn't want to serve the food until Mike came back so he wouldn't miss out on it, which meant they would have to wait until Chester decided to give him control back. Conversations with him never went anywhere, and so they were stuck doing nothing.

"Hey Chester, would you like to feed the ducks?" asked Holly. She took the bread they had brought just for the ducks that lived in the lake.

"What did they ever do to deserve that? They should go find their own food!"

"They normally do, it's just fun to feed them. Here, just throw them a handful."

Holly crumbled up some bread and handed him the crumbs. He muttered something under his breath and threw the crumbs to the birds. He continued crumbling up the bread and tossing it to the ducks and they ate each piece greedily. After all the bread was gone, he continued watching the ducks, and he ceased complaining.

As they watched him, Jack and Holly realized that Chester wasn't made of stone like he seemed to be. He might not be a chatty person, but that didn't mean he was unfeeling. If they didn't force him, he could be content. Maybe one day he would strike up a conversation with them, but for now the best thing would be to just let him be.

Mike came back not too much later, and they resumed their picnic as if it had not been interrupted. They ate their meal and then went back to playing frisbee.

* * *

><p>Holly and Manitoba had a lot of trouble getting along. Jack had trouble getting along with him as well, but it was worse with Holly because she was still scared of driving after the infestation in her last car. There was also the problem of Manitoba taking up and leaving without any warning to go hiking or exploring. They went on camping and hiking trips as often as they could to try to prevent this, but it wasn't enough to satisfy him. They had managed to get him to agree to at least leaving a note when he decided to take off, but they couldn't get him to agree to any more than that. This always made Holly worry until he came home. It worried Jack too, but not to the same extent as his wife, so there was a lot of friction between them. They usually didn't outright argue, but she dreaded seeing him the most. That is, until one day when she saw him outside, digging.<p>

They had just gotten back from a gymnastics competition, where Svetlana had won another gold medal. Mike should have been let out, but Manitoba had taken over instead. Holly came outside and watched him over his shoulder to see what he was doing.

Manitoba had a little place in the backyard that he kept a cardboard box buried, and every now and again, he would dig it up, add stuff to it, and then bury it again. The box was full of what appeared to be worthless junk: bottlecaps, rocks of various sizes and colors, pennies and dimes, nuts and bolts, pieces of cloth, string in every color of the rainbow, innumerable shiny and sparkly things, and a vast assortment of other odds and ends. There were a few things that looked like they could be worth something, but not much. He added a playing card, a wooden top, a bronze belt buckle, and a broken piece of pink plastic.

"G'day, Sheila," he said without looking at her.

"How did you know it was me?"

"You're the only person in the house who wears perfume," he replied, as though this should have been obvious.

"Oh." She knew his sense of smell was good, but not that good. She hadn't put on any perfume in days. "Why do you collect all that stuff, Manitoba?" she asked.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Well, it's just that you don't collect one particular thing. You know, most people collect stamps or postcards, you just collect anything you happen to find on the sidewalk."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"I just don't understand it. Help me understand, explain why these things deserve to be saved."

Still without looking at her, he held up a blue glass marble. "I found this on my first expedition after coming here."

He put it back and picked up a yellow string. "I found this outside the lion cage at the zoo."

He held up a rusty metal spring. "I found this in a dumpster."

"I still don't get what makes them so valuable."

"I don't collect this stuff because it's valuable, I collect it because I like collecting. I'm a treasure hunter, Sheila, better than any of the ones you see in the movies. The problem is, unlike in the movies, there's scarcely any treasure to be found, certainly not around here. That gets me down sometimes like you'd expect, it's like when a writer gets writer's block or when a musician just can't seem to get a note right, or when a painter has run out of things to paint. But I cheer myself up by finding other kinds of treasure. None of this stuff will ever make me rich, but I don't do it for the money anyway, I do it for the thrill of adventure. Anything can be treasure if you want it to be."

Holly was speechless for a moment. That wasn't what she'd expected to hear. Suddenly, all the junk in that box wasn't junk at all, it was precious. She had a collection of her very own, and so she could respect his love of collecting.

She went back inside to her room and took out the box under her bed. She brought it back outside and opened it.

"Since you showed me your collection, I want to show you mine."

Manitoba curiously looked at the wooden box in her hands. She opened it to reveal her seashell collection.

"We don't get to go to the beach often, but it's my favorite place in the world. I always collect shells to bring home a piece of the beach with me."

Manitoba's whole face lit up and his eyes shone. "These are beauties! This is quite the collection you've got here, Sheila."

"If you'd like, you can have one to add to your collection. I have a few shark teeth too, you can have one of them."

Manitoba chose a shell and a tooth with great excitement. The two of them talked for hours about their collections and what each piece meant to them. She promised him they'd get him a real treasure chest, because a cardboard box wasn't worthy of such treasure. Holly had done what she had thought to be impossible: befriended the cocky adventurer in Mike.

* * *

><p>Mike often had periods where he would get worked up and have trouble dealing with his stress, but one day it culminated in an anxiety attack, the most severe one of his life.<p>

Mike and Jack were out in the backyard playing catch with a baseball. The sun was high in the sky and there wasn't a cloud in sight. Mike had had another not-so-great day at school, so Jack took him outside to play.

"You know Mike, I really admire your hard work and dedication, your hopefulness and optimism," said Jack as he tossed him the ball. "Most people in your place would have given up on going to school by now, but you refuse to quit."

"Maybe it's dumb to keep trying, but it's not like I have many options," said Mike as he caught it. He tossed it back and said, "And there's this girl there that I kind of like. I would say she doesn't know I exist, but with Chester coming out all the time, there's no way she doesn't know I exist."

"What's her name?"

"Lucy. She's the prettiest girl in our class, probably the whole school." He blushed when he said it, he had never told anyone this before.

Jack had been expecting this, Mike was at the age when girls suddenly took a much bigger focus. He had been dreading it a little, just because he knew that it was going to be very hard for Mike to find a girl who could love and respect him in spite of his condition. But he wasn't going to let his worries get in the way of encouraging him.

"Have you ever spoken to her?"

He shook his head no. "The most we've ever spoken was when we were put on a group project together, but I was too nervous to talk about anything other than the assignment. Do you think there's any possible chance she might like me someday?"

"Well Mike, to be honest, I don't know. The world is full of people who judge others before they know them, it's a fact of life. If she, or any of the other kids at school, were to sit down with you at lunch and actually take the time to talk to you and get to know you, they'd see what a great kid you are. But most kids won't do that, I'm sad to say. Now, there may come a day when Lucy will start to see you, not your diagnosis, and she might like you the way you like her. But even if she doesn't, don't give up hope. I believe there will come a day when you'll meet someone who doesn't judge, as least not as quickly as others. It might be in school, or it could be anywhere else, but someday you're going to find someone special, and when you do, don't let them get away. But whatever happens, don't give up hope, okay?"

"I won't. But I do hope Lucy starts to like me someday."

"You know, I used to think that Holly could never like a guy like me. I wasn't always the strapping specimen you see before you today, and she was one of the prettiest girls in school. She could have had any guy she wanted, and she dated several guys before me, all hotter than me. She still has a box full of old love letters. I really shouldn't have gotten her, she was way out of my league, still is. I figure that if I can get a girl like Holly to like me, you can find a girl no problem. Try talking to her, that's the first step in getting to know someone. Strike up a conversation that's not about homework and see what happens."

Mike was left-handed and Jack was right-handed, so it made playing catch more difficult. Jack accidentally threw the ball a little too far to the right and Mike missed it, and he ran after it.

The ball rolled down in the crawl space under the house. He got down on his hands and knees to go after it. He was skinny enough that he could get through it without any difficulty. It was very dark in the crawl space, but the dark didn't bother him. That is, until the space got tighter and more narrow, and he could barely move. The small space wouldn't have bothered him either, but combined with the dark it started making him feel uneasy. He had no idea why, but it felt familiar somehow. His wrist started to hurt even though it was fine, and other places started to hurt as well, for no reason. They were like phantom pains that had no explanation. He made himself keep going until he found the ball, and then he crawled back out as fast as he could. By the time he got back out, he was panting and his heart was racing. He had almost started to panic.

"Mike, you all right?" asked Jack. "Did you see a snake under the house or something?"

"I'm all right, I just didn't like the small space. I'm not going under there again."

They resumed their game, and Mike tried to forget his feelings of unease and enjoy the rest of the game. Jack didn't think much of what had happened, he knew that crawl space was creepy. But then Mike clutched his forehead and scrunched up his eyes and didn't even try to catch the ball when Jack threw it.

"Something wrong, Mike?" asked Jack.

"I've got a headache. I'm going to go lie down."

"Feel better soon, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

Mike went inside, and Jack picked up the ball and went in after him. Mike went up to his room, and Jack put on a movie in the living room. After the first half hour of the movie, Jack suddenly remembered that Mike's prescriptions had run out and he needed to get them refilled at the pharmacy. Not wanting to disturb him, he left a note and quietly left the house. He didn't plan to be gone for any longer than fifteen minutes.

When he made it up to the counter, as he was waiting for the pharmacist to get his prescriptions, Jack felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw on the caller ID that the call was coming from Mike's cellphone.

"Hey Mike, what's up?"

"He's gonna do it, he's been talking about it for a long time and he's finally gonna do it."

"Mike, what's going on?" It took him a minute to recognize the voice; it was the voice of the personality that had shown up when Mike first got his diagnosis, Carrot Top. "Who's going to do what?"

"He is!"

"What's he going to do?" The pharmacist returned with the prescriptions, but he didn't notice.

"He's gonna do it!"

"I don't know what you're trying to tell me. Slow down and start from the beginning."

"Hey, get your prescriptions or get out of line pal, I can't wait all day!" said a man from behind him. The line was growing longer and the people behind him were growing more and more impatient. Jack shushed them and kept listening to Mike.

"It's not good, I told him to stop but he doesn't listen to me! He says he can do whatever he wants and you can't stop him. I'm really scared, you've gotta help!"

"Listen, I need you to tell me what's going on, I can't help if you don't tell me." Communicating with personalities like this was never easy, and it sounded like Mike was in danger. It was taking a lot of effort for him to not yell at him to get to the point, because if he yelled at him then he would shut down and he would get nowhere, so it was crucial that he stay patient with him.

"He's gonna be really mad at me for telling you. He already broke it, there's pieces all over the floor, I can see myself in them. I'm gonna go hide somewhere safe."

"Please tell me what's happening, it's very important that you tell me." Dozens of possibilities flashed through his mind, each one worse than the last.

"He's gonna hurt Michael real bad," he whispered.

That was enough for Jack. He left the prescriptions and bolted out of the store and drove straight home. He burst into Mike's room and gasped in horror at what he saw.

Mike was crouched on the floor. Blood was spurting from his wrists, he was soaked in it, along with the bed sheets and the floor. Mike looked up at him and bared his teeth in a snarl. Jack saw that the bathroom mirror was shattered and he had a jagged piece of glass in his hand.

"Get out! Leave me alone!"

"Oh God!" Jack took the piece of glass from him, cutting his own hand in the process. He took off his shirt and tied it as tightly as possible around one of Mike's wrists to try to staunch the bleeding. One of Mike's shirts was lying on the floor, he grabbed it and tied it around the other. He found a third and tied it around both wrists in an attempt to secure them and to hinder the personality from doing anything else. He had to act fast, Mike had already lost a lot of blood and these shirts wouldn't last long. He picked Mike up and ran to the car and then sped down the road.

None of Mike's alters had ever shown signs of being suicidal, and it occurred to him that this could be the one that had been in control in the asylum. The alter grabbed the steering wheel and tried to send them into a tree, but Jack managed to swerve back into the road and keep from hitting anything. He had to use one hand to steer and the other to keep him in line.

"Stop interfering! I have to kill the others so I can have control! I'm not afraid of you like they are, I'm not afraid of anything!"

"Are you the one that was in control in the asylum?" Jack asked. He heard sirens, he looked in the rearview mirror and saw a cop tailing him, but he only drove faster.

"You mean the hospital? No, that was the scary one. I have to kill him, too. He can't get out again, but I want him to die with all the others!"

Jack didn't know what to make of that, but at the moment he didn't care. The alter tried several more times to run them off the road and that cop wouldn't let up and blood was dripping through his makeshift bandages, but he could only focus on getting to the hospital before it was too late.

When he was nearly to the hospital, Mike was coming back.

"Dad? What's going on?" he asked groggily. He noticed the shirts tied around his wrists and started to tug on them.

"Don't touch those! We're going to the hospital, just stay calm."

They finally made it to the hospital. Jack parked the car and took out Mike and ran with him to the building.

"Stop right there!" yelled the cop who was chasing him.

Jack spun around to show him what he was carrying. The cop faltered, and Jack said, "Give me a ticket later, my son is dying!"

Mike was hyperventilating in his arms, and his entire body was shaking like he had been locked in a freezer. His teeth were gritted in pain and distress. "I can't breathe," he gasped.

There was a long line in the waiting room, but he ran straight up to the front desk.

"Sir, please wait at the back of the line."

"I don't have time to wait! Look at my son, he needs help now! You find me a doctor or I will find one myself!" he shouted.

The nurse called for a stretcher, and Jack looked down at him. Mike's eyes weren't focusing, and he was starting to lose consciousness.

"Stay awake, son. Don't go to sleep yet." He was afraid he was going into shock, and that if he fell asleep, he would never wake up again. Mike's body was limp, and his head lolled to the side. "Mike, what's our address?" he asked, trying to distract him and keep him awake.

Mike gave a completely different address than theirs, but he didn't care. "Good, now what's our phone number?"

As Mike mumbled his answer, Jack kept repeating, "Everything's going to be okay, you're going to be fine, everything's going to be okay." He was speaking more to himself than to Mike.

They brought out a stretcher. He gently placed Mike on it, but the second he did, he disappeared and that other personality came back. They wheeled him into the ER and Jack followed. The nurses tried to force him back, and he almost relented, but then he saw him rip off the shirts from around his wrists, and blood started spurting out again like a sprinkler. He took a scalpel off the table and raised it to his neck. Jack shoved them out of the way and grabbed his wrists to keep him from hurting anyone, most importantly, Mike.

"Oh no you don't!" he yelled. The personality was stronger than what should have been possible in the body's current state, the pain and weakness had no effect, it wasn't going to give up and so far not even death was stopping him. But he couldn't go on like this for much longer.

"Get away from me! I'm not going to hurt anyone!"

Jack believed him, Mike was its only target. He got one of his hands free and grabbed Jack's glasses and crushed them in his fist. He had terrible eyesight without his glasses, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. The alter growled at him, and an insane idea occurred to him. Mike had lesser personalities that feared him because they thought he was his biological father. This personality believed that if he killed himself, Mike would die and he would go on living. Maybe the opposite was true, as well.

He looked him dead in the eye and said, "I'm not going to let you hurt Mike. You know what I'm capable of, you remember what I did to you. If you ever try to hurt him, or kill him again, I will kill you myself. You'll never have control of the body again, Mike will go on and you'll be dead. Is that what you want?"

"You wouldn't!" he snarled, its eyes feral.

"Just watch me," he growled back.

The alter spat in his face, but then he let go of the scalpel and it clattered onto the floor. He wasn't done fighting yet, though. He tried to pounce on Jack, but a doctor stuck a needle in his neck to sedate him.

"You need to leave now," said the doctor, and this time, Jack complied.

He left the ER, feeling like he was betraying Mike by leaving him in there with that thing, but he had no other choice. At least it seemed to take his threat seriously, maybe he would leave Mike alone now. That was the scariest thing he had ever faced. One thing was for sure, no matter how things turned out today, that thing was going to haunt his nightmares for a long time.

To think that not even an hour ago he and Mike had just been hanging out and having fun, having their first talk about girls. How had it come to this? He had never been this scared in his entire life, Mike had come to mean so much to him, he didn't want to lose him.

It wasn't easy without his glasses, but he managed to get outside to his car to get his jacket to cover himself with. As he went, he wondered what he must look like right now to other people, shirtless, bloody, and exhausted. At least no one asked why he was this way.

He went back inside to the bathroom to wash the blood off of himself, and then he went to the waiting room and sat down. Until now, he had been running on pure adrenaline, but now there was nothing else he could do. He needed to do something, he needed to help Mike, but he had done everything in his power to help him already and there was nothing left. He needed to make a couple calls, but it didn't feel like enough. He took out his cellphone and called Holly's number on speed dial. She didn't pick up.

"Come on Holly, pick up the phone," he said on the third try. Still no answer. He instead called Dr. Lace. When she answered, he told her everything that had happened, leaving out no detail, no matter how small.

"It sounds like Mike had an anxiety attack, and a very severe one at that. The personality you described could be the one who was in the asylum before you adopted Mike."

"I don't know how credible that thing is, but it claimed that it wasn't. I asked on the drive to the hospital, it said the 'scary one' was in charge then. If the one I saw today is scared of another alter, I can't imagine how bad it must be. But it also said it couldn't come back. I don't know about the second part, but the first part I believe. That thing was like a rabid animal, the way the doctors described the other one, it didn't sound like this one."

"It sounds to me like another half-formed alternate personality, one that doesn't have as high brain function as other alters do. That's why it thought it could kill Mike and keep on living. These alters are very weak, they can't come out as often as other alters do. I believe the very first two I met were also like this, but not violent."

"I think I scared it into submission. I told it I would kill it if it tried something like that again. The doctors don't know yet that Mike has multiple personalities, they probably think I'm a homicidal maniac."

"If it saves Mike's life, it's worth it. I never thought of going at it that way. Of course, that doesn't guarantee that it won't try again, or that other lesser personalities won't do the same."

"Do we need to watch Mike 24-7?"

"I don't believe that will be necessary. Like I said, these alters can't come out very often. I'll up the dosage on his anxiety medication, and we'll work on this in therapy."

"What do we need to do the next time he has an anxiety attack? Hopefully they won't all be this bad."

"I'm afraid there's not much you can do. When he's having an attack, try to give him his anxiety medication if you can and talk to him, hearing your voice might serve as an anchor back to reality. Beyond that, just keep him comfortable and try to prevent him from hurting himself. You might want to keep a close eye on him for a while after this, but I think he should be fine."

"If I wasn't too late. There was so much blood."

"You should call your wife, she needs to know. I hope Mike's okay. I'm not supposed to say this, but he's one of my favorite patients."

"Thanks, doc."

After he hung up, his phone buzzed again.

"Holly, thank goodness, Mike-"

"Hey honey, sorry I couldn't pick up earlier. I was giving a bunch of teen girls manicures, they couldn't make up their minds on what design they wanted on their nails. So, what were you calling about? Did Mike have a good day at school?"

She sounded so cheerful, he hated to ruin it with bad news. "Promise me you won't panic."

There was a pause, then, "If you feel the need to make me promise, you know I'm going to panic regardless of any promises I make. Did something happen? Did Manitoba take off on another expedition without telling us? I told him to wait until bear mating season is over!"

"I had to take Mike to the emergency room."

She gasped. "Why didn't you call me?"

"I did! You didn't answer your phone."

"What happened? Is he okay? Did Svetlana fall and break her leg?"

"I wish. Holly, he… he might not make it." He told her what happened. When he got to the part where he found him with his wrists slit, she hung up the phone without letting him finish. She seemed to get there faster than was possible, and she tried to go straight into the ER.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but we can't let you go back there," said a male nurse.

"My son is in there, he might be dying!"

"They're trying to stitch him up, but they're having trouble. The sedative didn't work, and the patient is being violent and aggressive. You can see him once they've stabilized him and stitched his wounds."

"But that might be too late!" Jack came over and pulled her away as she started to cry. He led her back to where he was sitting. There was paperwork that needed to be filled out, but he couldn't see well enough to do it without his glasses. Holly cried silently as she filled out the paperwork. All the while, she was silently praying, _He's just a little boy, he's got his whole life ahead of him. You must have brought him to us for a reason, there must be some purpose for Mike's life that we just can't see yet. We've only had him for such a short amount of time, don't take him from us now, not like_ _this._

Inside the ER, the doctors and nurses were trying to hold Mike down and stop the bleeding at the same time. He shouldn't be awake, by that point he shouldn't have even been alive, but sheer will power was keeping him strong, and he was vicious. He'd nearly bitten two of the nurses and one of the doctors. But finally it became too much, and he collapsed on the stretcher. The heart monitor went flat, and the doctors began CPR.

Mike was underwater. The water around him was the most beautiful shade of blue, and it was warm and soothing. He couldn't breathe, but he wasn't scared. On the contrary, he had never felt more relaxed, more at peace. He wanted to sleep, he was content to sink.

But then he felt someone take his hand and pull him up above the surface. He opened his eyes and saw a clear blue sky, and trees with their branches blowing in a breeze. He saw three children before him that looked so familiar, but he couldn't recall their names. Three hands held onto his.

"You need to wake up, Mike," one of them said. She was a girl, with dark, wavy brown hair that went past her shoulders. She had a loving smile. "It's not time for you to go yet."

"Let go of me," he said. The water had been warm, but the air up here was freezing. "I want to go back in the water."

"You can't go back in, you can't leave your mom and dad," said another, a boy with light brown curls. "Think of how sad they would be to lose you. You can't leave them."

"I'm so tired, I just want to sleep." He was so exhausted, he felt like there was a thousand pound weight on his back trying to drag him down. If he let it take him back into the water, he could rest.

"You'll sleep another day," said the last, a girl with long red hair. "Today though, you need to wake up."

"I am awake, but I want to sleep," he insisted.

"It's not time for you to come with us yet, you need to stay here for now." The girl with the brown hair let go of his hand and kissed his cheek, and then walked away.

"Wait, come back! I don't even know your name!" he called out to her, but she was already gone.

"See you soon, Mike," said the boy with a smile. He too let go of his hand and walked away.

"Where are they going?" he asked. "I know them, I know I do, why are they leaving?"

"Listen Mike, we don't have long now," said the girl with the red hair. She was the only one left holding his hand now. Fireflies started buzzing around her, and he wanted to reach out and grab one.

"No! Tell me your name, how do you know me? Who are you?"

"Who I am isn't important, you've got only a few seconds left and we mustn't waste them. You're dying, Mike. You've run out of blood, it's all around you now, look."

He looked, and gasped at what he saw. The water surrounding him was no longer water, it was blood.

"How did this happen? Why am I dying?"

"You're just a kid, Mike, your life isn't over yet. You have to fight, right now you're losing but the battle isn't over yet." With her free hand she caught a firefly. She released it and said, "Wishing on one of these can't save you. I can't save you, either. There's only one person in the world that can save you, and that's you, Mike. You can't give up, you have to fight!"

"I don't know what to do. I can't fight, I'm too tired. Everything hurts so much." In the water he had felt completely at peace, but talking to her was causing him pain.

"Fight the pain, don't let it consume you. Don't try to disappear, don't hide from it. That's what you did when you were little, you tried to hide from the pain, and it worked too well, didn't it? But you're not hiding anymore, are you? It's time to make your choice. You can hide from the pain in the water, or you can face it head on. I'm going to let go of you, and you're going to have to fight on your own, do you understand?"

"Don't let go, don't leave me."

"I have to. I can't save you, you have to save yourself." She released his hand and yelled, "Fight Mike! Fight with everything you've got!"

He slipped down below the surface again, surrounded by the deepest, darkest red. For a moment he considered letting it take him, there was no pain down here, only calm and quiet. But he couldn't get the words of the three children out of his head. He began to kick and swim back up, like his grandfather had taught him. But as hard as he tried, it felt like something was dragging him back down. He felt three hands on his legs, pulling him down deeper and deeper. He refused to give up, in spite of the pain and the fatigue and the force pulling him under. He kept going, pushing harder and harder, until he finally broke the surface and pulled himself onto the shore.

His eyes burst open and he started gasping for air. He had no idea where he was or how he had got there. He saw a team of doctors and nurses standing over him, and he was terrified. He tried to move but he couldn't, and that only panicked him more. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't catch his breath, he couldn't find his voice. He was breathing, but it was having no effect, he was suffocating. His eyes frantically scanned the room, trying to find answers.

"We've got a pulse!" he heard a female voice say.

He realized that this must be a hospital, but what was he doing here? What happened to him?

Jack and Holly had to wait for over an hour before the doctor came out to see them. "We've stabilized your son, we had to restart his heart and give him two blood transfusions, but he'll be okay."

"Oh thank God," said Holly. "Can we see him?"

"Yes, but he needs to rest."

He took them to the room Mike was in. They sat down by the bed, and the doctor left them alone. He was hooked up to a heart monitor, and he had a breathing tube in his nose and an IV. At the moment, the beeping of the heart monitor was the most beautiful sound in the world. They had cleaned the blood off of him, and his wrists were now stitched closed. His arms and legs were strapped down on the bed, and his eyes were only half-open.

"How you holding up, buddy?" asked Jack softly.

"My head still hurts," he moaned. Every inch of visible skin had claw marks; Jack hadn't noticed that before.

"How much do you remember?" he asked.

"I was going up the stairs at home, and I don't remember anything after that. What happened to me? Why can't I move?"

Jack told him what had happened, without going into all the gory details, and told him what Dr. Lace had told him.

"The restraints are just a precaution, you'll only have to be in them for a little while."

"I hope that personality never comes back," said Mike with a shudder. "Vito and Chester are nothing compared to that."

"I'm so glad you're okay," said Holly as she gently hugged him. She kissed his forehead and continued, "When your dad told me what happened, all I could think about was what I would do if I ever lost you. I couldn't handle it."

"It's a good thing Dad was there," said Mike. "You saved my life."

"What are dads for?" said Jack with a weary smile.

Mike fell asleep not long after that, the sedative finally kicking in and doing its job now that it was no longer needed. It didn't keep his personalities from talking in his sleep, though. His sleeping was always fitful, whether he was having nightmares or not. In the early days, his talking had kept them awake, but they had quickly learned to tune it out.

Jack and Holly went to the cafeteria for some dinner while he slept. Outside his door, a nurse came by and said, "Here are the shirts you used to bandage Mike's wounds with." They were completely ruined.

"That was my favorite shirt," Jack sighed as he threw them in a trashcan.

Holly put her arms around him and said, "You saved him, Jack. You're a hero."

"No I'm not. All I could think was that if he died, I wouldn't be a dad anymore, and I couldn't let that happen. It wasn't heroic, it was just doing what needed to be done."

"If you hadn't found him in time… I can't believe how close we came to losing him today." Fresh tears streaked down her face.

"Thank God Carrot Top cared enough to call me, and was able to call. If he hadn't… if I had been just five minutes late, I would have found him… I would have found him…" It was too horrible to speak it out loud. He held her tighter and said, "He's safe now, that's what matters."

"You're my hero, Jack."

After they finished dinner, they went home so that Jack could get his spare glasses and to clean the blood out of Mike's room before he got home. What had happened was bad enough, he didn't need the blood stains as a reminder. They picked up the broken pieces of glass, and they changed his bed sheets and scrubbed the carpet. They couldn't get the stains out completely, but they didn't stand out so much now. They covered the biggest one with a rug and then went straight back to the hospital in case Mike needed them.

That night, they both slept in the chairs in Mike's room. Mike was kept in the hospital for twenty-four hours for observation to make sure he was safe to go home. He was allowed out of the restraints, but only as long as at least one person was in the room with him. The food in the hospital was gross, so Jack went to the bakery across town while Holly stayed with Mike. He bought him a bag of freshly baked cookies.

"I'm pretty sure it's illegal to sneak sweets into a hospital," he said as he handed him the bag. "So don't tell the doctors or I might go to jail."

"Thanks Dad," said Mike. The cookies helped cheer him up.

Jack had swung by the house while he was out and he brought him his sketchpad so he could keep busy and not get bored. Jack and Holly watched a movie on TV to bide their time, all the while glancing at Mike every few minutes in case that alter did reappear.

Mike decided to draw what he imagined the personality looked like. Jack said it was like a wild, frightening beast, and so that's how he drew it. But when he saw the final product, he couldn't stand to look at it. It was scary to think that a part of himself wanted him dead, and had almost succeeded. He hoped his dad's threat would work and keep it away.

While he had been sleeping the previous night, he'd had an unusual dream. Part of the reason it was unusual was that he normally didn't remember his dreams, but this one he had. He had dreamed of three children. He knew them, but he didn't know their names. They were important somehow, he was sure of it, but he was drawing a total blank on them. He decided to draw them, hoping that maybe if he saw them on paper it might stimulate his memory. He drew all three, but he made no progress with his memory.

"Who are you drawing?" Holly asked as she brought him lunch on a tray.

"I don't know, I had a dream about them."

"These two kind of look like you," she pointed out.

"Really?" He hadn't noticed that before.

"The girl has your nose and eyes, and the boy has your gap-toothed smile."

"You're right, that's odd."

"This other girl looks like no one I've ever seen before."

"I call her the girl with the fireflies."

"She's very pretty."

Pretty didn't begin to cover it, she was beautiful. He wished these children were real, and not just people from his dreams. At least he had these drawings, in case he ever forgot the dream.

Mike was released that night, his face ashen and his legs a little wobbly, but otherwise fine.

* * *

><p>That Saturday, both Holly and Jack had to work, so Holly took Mike with her to the salon. She wished she could leave him at home, she knew he'd have more fun there, but with the possibility of Vito or Manitoba coming out, or that horrible half-formed alter, they couldn't be too careful. At least Mike didn't seem to mind too much.<p>

She was the only one working today, because her employee was on vacation. As Holly was giving one of her elderly regulars her monthly perm, Mike was doing homework.

"What happened?" the woman asked, referring to the scratches. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt to cover the ones on his arms, but he couldn't hide the ones on his face "It looks like you got into a fight with a lawnmower and lost."

She was the fifth customer to ask him that, but he just smiled and replied, "I have a very badly behaved cat."

Another customer came in, a younger woman with long, strawberry blonde hair that went down below her waist.

"I'll be with you in just a minute," said Holly.

The woman sat down and picked up a hair magazine and browsed through the different styles. Holly didn't notice as Mike got up and went to sit beside her.

"Vat is your name?"

She looked up at him and said, "What happened to your face, kid?"

"Zat is not important. Vat is your name?" she repeated.

"Hazel."

"Are you cutting your hair today?"

"I'm not sure yet. I want to do something different with it, but I'm not sure what. I might perm it, I don't know."

"No, do not do zat, your hair is suited to being straight. You should cut it to just below your chin, you have ze perfect face for short hair."

"I don't think so, I've kept it long my whole life. I've only cut it twice, it wouldn't look right short."

"It is up to you, but I zink you should take ze risk. It is good to do different zings every now and again, it keeps life interesting. If you do not like your hair short, it vill grow out and it vill be long again in no time."

Hazel considered it a moment, and then said, "Sure, why not."

"Okay, I'm ready for you," said Holly. The other woman was now in one of the hair dryers. "What would you like?"

Hazel came to sit in the chair. "I want it all off, I want it just below my chin."

"That's a big change. Feeling adventurous?" she asked as she draped a towel around her. She started snipping away.

"I guess so."

In the mirror, Hazel could see Svetlana doing stretches. She then did spun in a circle on her toes and landed in a split. Holly noticed, but didn't say anything. As long as Svetlana wasn't causing trouble, she was just fine with letting her do her flips and talk to the customers.

It didn't take long to for her to cut her hair. Once it was done, Hazel admired her reflection.

"What do you think?" asked Holly.

"I look great! I never thought I'd like short hair but it actually looks good. And my head is probably at least ten pounds lighter. Thanks, kid!"

Svetlana looked up from her handstand and said, "It vas my pleasure!"

Hazel left the salon, and Holly went to talk to her.

"How do you know so much about hair styling, Svetlana?"

"Intuition," she replied as she bended over backwards.

For the rest of the day, Svetlana gave style advice to all Holly's customers as she practiced her dancing, and not a single one left dissatisfied. When Svetlana took the scissors and cut hair herself, Holly didn't try to stop her. If she wasn't completely devoted to gymnastics, she could have been a great hair stylist.

Holly and Svetlana talked in between customers, but she was more interested in practicing than talking. Still, Holly hadn't expected to ever befriend any of Mike's alters, so it was a pleasant surprise to find a friend in Svetlana. She noticed that Svetlana wasn't doing any handstands or anything that would put pressure on Mike's hands to keep from popping the stitches. She took some of Holly's sparkly blue and green nailpolish and drew hearts on his bandages, her way of cheering Mike up.

As they were driving home, Mike came back.

"Which one was it?" he sighed.

"Svetlana, but don't worry, she didn't cause any problems. In fact, all my customers loved her. We got to talk, and I feel like I made a lot of progress with her. She's friendlier than I thought."

"She's the nicest of all of them," he said as he looked down at the bandages around his wrists. They were there to keep him from picking at or scratching the stitches underneath. He saw the hearts, and even though he knew he'd better wash them off or risk getting his face smashed in at school for them, they still made him smile. "She encourages me sometimes."

"I'm glad she does."

It was comforting to Holly to know that, though Mike had personalities that wanted to do him harm, he had some that cared enough to look out for him and be a friend to him, too.


	16. Satchimo

When Mike was thirteen, he decided that he wanted a skill all his own.

This was a long time coming. Having alternate personalities that were so talented made him feel inferior and insecure about his own abilities. He wanted something none of the rest of them could do, something he could be proud of.

He had put a lot of thought into it, of what he wanted to try doing. One day he heard Holly playing the piano downstairs. The melodies were so lovely and relaxing, and he decided that he wanted to learn to play, as well.

"Mom?" he said as he came down the stairs. "Can you teach me to play like that?"

"I'd love to! Come on, come sit next to me. We'll start right now."

Holly began by teaching him the notes on the piano and where to place his fingers. To help him remember where the notes were, she would call out a note and he would press it. He caught on quickly and his face lit up whenever he got a note right.

Over the next several weeks, Mike learned how to take the notes and chords and put them together to make music. Sometimes he would get hung up on a note and it would frustrate him, and Holly had to try to calm him down to keep Chester from coming out and ending the lesson. She didn't always succeed because his switches came on so suddenly, but she had a pretty good track record overall.

"I just can't play that note right!" said Mike one day.

"It's okay Mike, don't get worked up, it's just a note," said Holly as she rubbed his arm. He relaxed and Chester was kept at bay.

"Thanks Mom."

"No problem."

He started out with simple, basic songs, but gradually worked his way up to more difficult pieces. He knew he wouldn't ever be playing in a grand concert hall, but that didn't matter to him. The fact that he could play the piano at all pleased him. He finally had a skill of his own that he could be proud of.

There was a talent show at school coming up, and he entered it to play before the whole school. He was nervous about it though, until then he had only ever played for his parents. To help him relax and get used to a big audience, they let him play in church a few times. The people there weren't at all critical of him and enjoyed his playing, and it helped him feel a little more confident.

On the day of the show, he had an appointment with Dr. Lace after school. Svetlana was the one who walked into her office.

"Good afternoon, Svetlana," said Dr. Lace with a smile. "You're looking well today."

"Yes, I am knowing zis."

"Is it just you today?"

"Holly vas being late again, Svetlana had to make sure Mike got here at precisely ze right time. Punctuation is being very important."

"I agree, being punctual is very important. Let's go back and begin the session, shall we?" As they walked down the hall to her office, Dr. Lace took out her cellphone and texted Holly, _No need to worry, Svetlana brought Mike to therapy again. She says you weren't on time so she had to take matters into her own hands. _

Once they sat down in her office, Dr. Lace said, "Can I ask a favor of you, Svetlana?"

"Vat is it?"

"Could you write down the sentence for me? 'These aren't the droids you're looking for.' Write it in this notebook."

"Svetlana does not see vere you are going vith zis, but all right." Svetlana wrote down the sentence and handed the notebook back.

"Thank you, Svetlana. I'm doing this to help understand you all better, Mike chose the sentence. You all have different writing styles, see? Look, here's Mike's writing at the top, neat and in cursive. Vito's is messier and harder to read, I don't think he cares much for penmanship. Manitoba's is a little neater, it's in cursive too but you can tell he writes fast. Chester took more time in writing his, it's not messy exactly but you can tell he doesn't have much experience writing. I've got some from half-formed alters, only a few that I've spoken to can write. Carrot Top tried to write for me, but he can't read, and even with my help he misspelled nearly every word. And here's your handwriting, Svetlana. You wrote in Russian, and yours is the most elegant style of all. Isn't that fascinating?"

"I suppose." Dr. Lace hadn't expected her to be that interested, she was more concerned with physical skills than writing skills. She had also determined Vito to mentally be in his late teens to early twenties, Svetlana to be in her late twenties to early thirties, Manitoba to be somewhere between early to late thirties, and Chester to be around seventy, but she didn't think she would be interested in that, either.

"I think it's nice how you make sure Mike keeps his appointments with me, it's very helpful. I think his parents would appreciate it though if you called or texted them to let them know when you do it so they don't get worried."

"Vith Svetlana around zere is nothing for zem to be vorrying about."

"Manitoba has brought Mike to therapy a few times, as well. Tell me, why is Mike's therapy so important to you?"

"It makes him feel better, and it vould be rude to you if he is late."

"Do you like it when we talk in therapy?"

"Svetlana enjoys your company, yes."

"I enjoy yours, too. Vito and Chester don't seem to like me very much, so it's nice that you and Manitoba do. Now, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about, Svetlana. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I think it would be good for you. How did Mike's parents treat you? His biological parents."

"Have you asked ze others zis question?"

"I have. They didn't have much to say about it, but I believe there is more that they don't want to talk about. If you want, you can keep the details to yourself and just give me a general idea of what it was like."

"Zere is not much to say. Zey vere awful people, zat is it."

"Did they ever hurt you, specifically?"

"Once, ven I vas practicing gymnastics ven Mike vas a little boy, his father said he vould break my leg if I kept doing it. I vas not afraid of him, but I knew zat he did not make empty threats, and a broken leg could have ruined my fantastic abilities permanently. From zen on I only practiced ven ve vere alone on ze mountain. Zat vas our safe haven, vere ve could do whatever ve liked vithout fear of punishment. But ve could not stay, unfortunately. Zat is why Svetlana likes Mike's new parents and you, you do not mind ven Svetlana practices. Zat is all I have to say on zis matter."

"That's good that you didn't let him stop you from doing what you love. Thank you for sharing with me, Svetlana. If you have nothing more to say about that, then we'll move onto something else. Anything exciting happen this week?"

"Oh yes! Svetlana came in first at a figure skating competition! Zere is a new gold medal hanging in Mike's room."

"How did it go? Were the other competitors tough to beat?"

Svetlana laughed in derision and said, "Is zat a joke question?"

Dr. Lace listened as Svetlana animatedly told her every detail of the competition. She had listened to all of Mike's main alters tell her things in these sessions, none of them were in the least bit shy. She had listened to many of his lesser personalities, too. She enjoyed talking to his main ones more, but the lesser ones usually offered up more useful information about Mike.

Mike didn't return until she finished talking twenty minutes later. He blinked and said, "Oh, hello doctor."

"Hello Mike, so glad you could join me today," said the doctor with a smile. "Svetlana was just telling me about how she won her new gold medal."

"My mom didn't bring me here today, did she?"

"She's probably in the waiting room now, but no, Svetlana brought you. Your therapy is important to her, you know. It is to Manitoba, as well."

"I think Manitoba just likes the sound of his own voice, and you're a good listener," said Mike with a wry smile.

"That may be it. You know Mike, I've been doing some thinking about your amnesia. Today I'd like to try hypnotism, if you're up to it. I've talked it over with your parents, and they're on board if you are."

"Sure, why not?"

"Now remember, hypnotism isn't what you see in the movies, it's not a guaranteed fix for anything. But it may help us to recover some pieces of your memory. And don't worry, I can't make you do anything you wouldn't do while conscious."

"Okay, I'm ready."

She had him turn off his cellphone, and she turned off hers. She had him lie down on the couch with his hands over his stomach and close his eyes, and she dimmed the lights.

"I want you to relax, Mike, and clear your thoughts." She spoke in a low, soothing voice in time with his breathing. "I want you to imagine a happy place, a place where you feel safe and secure. It could be a warm, sandy beach, or a quiet meadow next to a trickling stream."

Mike thought of being on a mountain as the sun was going down, when the weather was cool but not cold. He could feel a gentle breeze blowing through his hair, and the sun was in the perfect spot, glowing orange and red. There were one or two stars peeking out, but the sun was still up, and there was still light.

"I want you to relax your fingers and toes, and then relax your arms and legs. Now feel your hips relaxing, up to your waist. Feel your stomach and chest relaxing, your shoulders, neck and head relaxing. I want you to relax all over."

Relaxing wasn't always easy for him, but here it felt more natural.

"Feel yourself flying through the air, no stress, no worries, no cares in the world. You land on a cloud made of pure relaxation, and as you sink into it, feel all your worries slip away. No one can touch you inside this cloud, it keeps you safe and warm."

He visualized the cloud, and felt all his stress and worry melt away.

"Now that you are relaxed, this feeling of calm will gently carry you into a deep, peaceful state of hypnosis. My voice will serve as your guide and your connection back to reality. I want you to go back in time and tell me what you see."

"I see… I see chains."

"Chains? Who's in the chains?"

"I think I am."

"Did your mother or father do this to you?"

"No, they're not there. It's someone else, I can't make out their face. I'm asking them to let me go, but they won't."

"Let's go back further, before then. What do you see now?"

"I see a lot of things, but they don't make sense. I see a swingset, but it's inside a house. I see a bed inside a classroom."

"These memories must be colliding and mixing together. Focus on just one thing and see if it becomes clearer."

He concentrated on the swingset, and it came into focus. "The swingset is in a playground, and I see two kids playing. One of them is a boy with light, curly brown hair. The other looks like… he looks like…me."

Mal heard Mike talking, and he realized that in spite of his efforts to keep Mike in the dark, he was beginning to remember. Well, he couldn't have that. There was a half-formed alter that had come near his boulder, and it was one of the least developed in there. It didn't have the strength to take control on its own, but Mal could fix that. He grabbed it by the leg and dragged it closer to him, ignoring its protests. Since he couldn't do anything while in chains, he lent it some of his energy so it could take control. He then started whispering terrible things to it. This alter had taken a great deal of abuse, and Mal made it remember in stark detail every second of it until it couldn't take it anymore.

"What are you doing with that little boy?" his doctor asked, her interest piqued.

"I'm pushing him on the swing-" he gasped and arched his back and let out a miserable, terrified wail. He suddenly leapt off the couch and jumped out the window and dashed off down the street.

Dr. Lace ran out the door, and when she saw Holly in the waiting room, she yelled to her and said, "Come with me, Mike needs help!"

She didn't have to be told twice and they both ran after him. They saw him run across the street and nearly get hit by several cars. Horns blared at him, only agitating him further. He was a faster runner than both of them, and he quickly darted out of their line of sight. They lost of track of him and couldn't find him.

"Oh God, where could he be?" asked Holly, starting to panic. Even Dr. Lace, who was the epitome of professionalism, looked frantic.

"Hey, you guys lookin' for a kid?" asked a homeless man.

"Have you seen him?" asked Holly frantically.

"He's over there." He pointed to a filthy dumpster in an alley. They ran over to it and found him curled up in a ball beside it, sucking his thumb and banging his head against the brick wall he was sitting against. Holly immediately ran over and got down beside him, not caring about all the grime getting on her. She cradled his head so he couldn't bang it against the wall anymore.

"What's wrong with him?" asked the homeless man.

Dr. Lace turned to him and said, "Thank you for your help, you can be on your way."

He didn't move, so she said, "Now!"

He walked away, and Holly said, "It's okay, Mama's here. Mama's got you."

Dr. Lace quietly asked herself, "Oh Mike, who did this to you?"

Mike was completely silent, not making a sound. They couldn't get him to respond or even look at them, so Holly picked him up and carried him back to Dr. Lace's office. They brought him to another room, one that was furnished similar to the therapy room, but slightly different. They went inside and Holly laid him down on the couch. He hadn't moved the entire way, he stayed curled up and he was as still as a statue.

"What's going on with him?" asked Holly in a whisper. She gently rubbed his shoulder. "I've never seen him like this."

"It's obviously a half-formed alter, but vastly underdeveloped compared to the others. It's infantile, pre-language."

"He's supposed to play in a talent show tonight, he'll be so disappointed if he misses it."

"That may be the least of our problems, I don't know how long this one could hold on and stay in control. I don't know what went wrong, he was doing so well and making progress. He was starting to remember parts of his childhood."

"Maybe that's the problem, maybe he shouldn't remember. If it's bad enough to reduce him to this state, then I think that's a sign that we should leave well enough alone. No more hypnotism or anything else that would bring those memories out, and that's final," said Holly firmly.

"I agree. Mike won't be happy about that, but it's for the best. Now I'm very sorry, but I have another patient that will be coming in soon. I want to help Mike, but it wouldn't be fair to my other patient."

"No, no don't worry, I'll look after him."

"He can stay in this room until he wakes up, I'll come back after I finish with this other patient, he's the last one of the day." Dr. Lace left the room and Holly heard her say, "Hello Trent, how are you today?"

Holly called Jack and he left work to come to see what he could do. They both kept trying to talk to him, but with no results. He was catatonic.

"Mike, Mike wake up, it's Dad," he said softly.

"Come back to us, sweetheart."

His eyes didn't blink and were glassy, it was like he was in a waking coma. After the first hour, Dr. Lace returned. More hours passed, and their worry only increased. But finally, as the sun was going down, he blinked and uncurled himself.

"Thank goodness you're back," said Holly as she threw her arms around him. He had no idea why she was doing it, but he hugged her back all the same.

"What going on? Why am I not hypnotized anymore?"

"The hypnotism brought out some old memories and triggered one of your half-formed personalities," said Dr. Lace. "It broke through the window and ran away-"

"I broke a window? I'm so sorry, I'll pay you back-"

"No, I won't hear of it. I'm the one who triggered that personality, it was no fault of yours. But I'll be replacing it with shatterproof glass. Anyway, we found it and brought it back here, and it's taken hours for you to come back. We won't be doing anymore hypnotism or anything else to retrieve your memories."

"But why? We were making progress, I was starting to remember things."

"If this is what it does to you, then it's not worth it. Your health is more important. I know you want to continue, but if it causes you harm, then we can't."

"All right, we won't do it anymore." He gasped and said, "Did I miss the talent show?"

"It would have started by now, but it's not over yet," said Jack.

"We've got to go, I don't want to miss it!"

"Mike no, you need to rest," said Holly.

"I feel fine, really I do." He smiled reassuringly to show her that he meant it. "I want to play in the talent show, I've been practicing so much, I don't want all that hard work to go to waste. Please let me go Mom, please?"

"Let him go, Hol. He's right, he has worked hard for this. And he says he feels fine."

"I don't know about this. Doctor, what do you think? Will it just make him worse?'

"You won't be juggling fireballs, will you?" asked Dr. Lace with a smile.

"No, I'm just playing the piano. I'll shoot for juggling fireballs next time," said Mike as he returned her smile.

"Well then, as long as you're not overexerting yourself you should be just fine. No extra stress today, just take it easy, and good luck."

"Thanks, doctor."

"If you start feeling like something's wrong, tell us and we're going straight home, okay?" said Holly.

"Okay. Now let's go, I need to change and get my music! Bye Dr. Lace!" said Mike as he dashed out the door.

The second they got home he changed into a suit at light speed and grabbed his sheet music. He was ready to go in five minutes flat.

They made it to the school just as the last performances were on, Mike had gotten there just in time. He was the last act, and when it was his turn he got up on the stage and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Part of him was telling him to bolt for the door before he embarrassed himself, but he wouldn't let himself quit.

He sat down at the piano and put up his music. It was the theme from _Love Story_, a difficult piece that he had mastered after weeks of practice.

He started playing and didn't let himself think about what he was doing at all. If he thought about the notes or where his fingers were, he would mess up for sure. He relaxed and didn't think about it and let the melody carry him, and he pulled it off almost perfectly.

The audience applauded him, and he couldn't stop smiling. He spotted Jack and Holly in the crowd, on their feet applauding him louder than anyone else.

After the show ended, they took Mike to a pizza restaurant.

"Are you sure we shouldn't just go home?" asked Mike. Going out to eat almost always caused an argument between his alters. If he was lucky, they would keep it inside his head. If he wasn't, they would come out and change his order to whatever they wanted. He didn't want to embarrass his parents. Why did their tastes have to be so different?

"This is your special night Mike, you've earned this," said Jack as he clapped him on the shoulder.

They went to the buffet, and though his alters made a loud racket inside his head, none of them took over. He took a couple slices of pepperoni pizza and they found a table. Mike sat across from them and started to eat.

"You did so well tonight, Mike," said Holly, smiling.

"You stole the whole show, son," said Jack.

"It feels good to know that I'm good at something. Me, not the others."

"But even if you couldn't play an instrument, it wouldn't make you any less cool. You don't have to have an amazing talent to be worth something," said Jack.

"I know, but I still like having my own talents."

A couple passed by them, kissing like they were stuck to each other at the lips.

"How did you guys meet?" asked Mike curiously.

"Oh, you don't want to hear about that," said Jack, blushing slightly.

"No, I really do. Was it really romantic?"

"Holly bought me from a circus and kept me as a pet," said Jack.

Mike laughed, and Holly said, "Actually, it started when we were in high school. Our friends set us up on a blind double date. I was set up with a guy named Dale, and Jack was set up with a girl named Rachel."

"Back then, Holly had long hair and she curled it, and I wore contact lenses instead of glasses. We were just as good-looking back then as we are today."

"We went out to eat, and I wasn't really feeling any sparks with Dale, but apparently he was feeling a lot of sparks with Rachel. After dinner, he drove us to the edge of a cliff teenagers used as a place for making out and, um, other things. Our dates ditched us and started making out on the hood of the car, right where we could see everything. Needless to say, I thought the date was a disaster. I was sitting in the passenger seat and Jack was in the back. At first it was extremely awkward, I mean, I was alone in the car with Jack Skinner, a boy I'd never spoken to before in my life. We had conflicting class schedules, so I barely knew he existed, and I think it was the same on his side, too. I was seriously considering just getting out of the car and walking home, but then I caught his eye in the rearview mirror and I thought to myself, 'He's kinda cute.'"

"She didn't even mind that I'm a dwarf."

"You're not a dwarf, I'm just tall. We got out of the car and walked home together, partly to get to know each other better, and partly to give the lovebirds some room. We started talking about school and our friends and our interests. We found that we were very different, practically polar opposites, but strangely it didn't seem to matter very much. He made me laugh with his jokes as we walked home. The walk home was very long and lasted over an hour, but the time just seemed to disappear. We were able to take an awful date and turn it into something magical. When he dropped me off at my house, there was no goodnight kiss or anything romantic, but I knew I wanted to see him again. After that date we saw each other every now and again, and I kept waiting for him to ask me out, but it took him an eternity."

"I don't like rushing things, I like to let them play out so it's natural. I liked Holly, but I wanted to make sure she was the right one. I had dated other girls before, but none of them made a lasting impression. It didn't help when she went on a date with Victor Wise, the captain of the football team and the hottest guy in school."

"I was trying to make you jealous so you'd quit dragging your feet."

"Well, it backfired, it just made me even more reluctant to ask you out."

"Trust me, I know, lesson learned. But I do wonder whatever happened to Victor, haven't heard anything about him since we moved here."

"Don't be getting any ideas, the ring means you're stuck with me."

"I'm just teasing, you make it way too easy."

"Anyway, I eventually decided that she was the girl for me and I asked her out, though not nearly fast enough for her liking, apparently. We went to see a movie."

"He brought me flowers like a true gentleman, it was so romantic. We saw each other every day after that until we were married. We got engaged before we went off to college, and we decided to wait until we had both graduated before we got married, and the wait was worth it," said Holly as she smiled at her husband.

"Wow, and you've been in love ever since then?" asked Mike.

"Well, we've had some close calls," said Holly as Jack put an arm around her. "No marriage is ever perfect, and there are downsides to marrying your opposite, but we always managed to hang on and keep going, though there were a few times when we really didn't want to. I'm glad we did, I can't imagine life without this guy, though there have been times in the past when I wanted to kill him."

"Ditto," said Jack, and he gave her a quick kiss.

"How long have you been married?"

"Twelve years on our next anniversary," said Jack. "Boy, how time flies. It feels like just yesterday when I asked you to marry me and you said yes. I wasn't really prepared for you to agree, I had braced myself for a no and so I wasn't really sure what to do with a yes. I remember asking myself, what have I done? But as terrified as I was, there was no way I was going to let a gal like Holly slip through my fingers. We got hitched, and we have no plans to change that any time soon."

"I hope someday I find someone special like you guys did."

They ordered some ice cream and talked a while longer. At one point, Mike broached a topic he had been thinking about for some time.

"Do you think you'll ever adopt any more kids?"

Jack and Holly exchanged meaningful glances. "Why do you ask, son?"

"Well, I was just thinking about how cool it would be to have a little sibling, I could be a big brother. Or, you could adopt an older kid and I'd have a big brother or sister, someone to look up to."

"Well Mike, as much as we would love another child, we aren't looking to adopt any more," said Holly delicately. She had to choose her words carefully here. "We love you so much that we can't imagine loving another child as much as you. You're all we need, our little family is perfect just the way it is."

"Oh, okay," said Mike, a little disappointed.

Jack, thinking quickly, said, "But you know what, since your birthday is coming up soon, I was thinking of taking you to the animal shelter to pick out a dog. Every boy should have a dog."

Mike brightened and he said, "I would love a dog."

"Then it's settled, we're adopting a dog."

They finished their ice cream and went home. Mike really did feel fine, but he was very tired and a bit drained from the events of the day. He went to bed earlier than usual, and Jack and Holly went upstairs to their room to talk.

"You know, maybe we could adopt another kid, just one more," said Holly. "A teenager, someone who wouldn't need too much maintenance. We could handle that, right?"

"We've already talked about this, it wouldn't be a good idea."

"I know, but Mike really wants a sibling, and I'd love another kid, too."

"So would I, I always wanted a big family, but in our situation I don't think it would be very wise. We have to make sure his personalities don't do anything too reckless and we have to always be on high alert to try to keep them from coming out in the first place. Not to mention, with his doctor bills and medication, we don't have a lot of money left over. But the thing that concerns me the most is, would we be able to give another child the attention they need? Mike needs so much attention. In a family, everyone is supposed to get equal amounts of attention, but I don't think that would be possible for us. I don't want a kid thinking they're not loved because we can't give them enough attention, it just wouldn't be fair to them. They would resent us for it, and they would resent Mike."

"I know, I know. It's just wishful thinking. Good thinking on the dog thing, I think a pet would be very therapeutic for Mike."

"I'll take him out tomorrow to the shelter, let him have an early birthday present."

"Try to get something sturdy, something that won't die and will last a very long time. Something that won't run away all the time like the cat."

"Will do."

* * *

><p>The next day, Jack took Mike to the animal shelter. As soon as they were inside and allowed to see the animals, he ran to the cages grinning ear to ear.<p>

The first dog he saw was a black Labrador. It licked his fingers as he pet its fur. The next was a golden retriever, and he giggled as it licked his face. He moved on to a beagle that wagged its tail wildly when he approached.

"I don't know which one to choose, I love them all," said Mike as the beagle licked his fingers.

"As much as I would love to bring all these pooches home with us, you're going to have to settle for just one today, sport."

Mike spotted a border collie next. It was a puppy, but it had a limp.

"What's wrong with his leg?" asked Mike.

An animal caretaker said, "That's Satchimo, he's a runt, and he was born with a bad leg. The rest of the litter was healthy, he was just unlucky, I guess. No one wants to adopt him because of it."

Mike watched as the dog ran around in his cage chasing his tail. Running was difficult for him, but he wasn't letting it stop him from having fun. It's like the dog didn't even know there was anything wrong with him.

"I want him."

"Are you sure, kid?" asked the caretaker. "Wouldn't you rather have another dog, one that can play with you?"

"He looks like he can play just fine. What do you think, Dad?"

Jack got down on his knees and opened the cage. He picked up the tiny dog and scratched behind his ears. The dog licked both him and Mike. "I think Satch is a keeper."

Mike signed the paper to adopt the dog, and then they drove him home.

"So, are you going to rename him or call him by the name they gave him?" asked Jack.

"I think I'll keep it. It's sort of an odd name, but I think it suits him."

"It's better than the name we gave my dog growing up, that's for sure."

"What was the name of your dog?"

"Kitty."

"Why would you name a dog kitty?"

"He was the biggest, meanest looking dog you've ever seen. But he wouldn't hurt a fly, he was the nicest dog in the world. He was a really bad guard dog. We called him Kitty because we'd go, 'Here kitty, kitty, kitty!' and a giant dog would come running at you at full speed. It confused and scared a lot of people, when he would run to you it looked like a bear was coming to eat you. From a distance, he looked like bigfoot."

Mike took Satchimo out to the backyard. He found a stick and threw it for him to fetch.

"Get the stick, Satchimo! Fetch!"

Satchimo ran after the ball. He nearly tripped several times, but he was able to retrieve the stick and bring it back to Mike.

"You already know how to play fetch? You're really smart."

He threw the stick over and over and Satchimo fetched it every time. They played for hours, Mike couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun.

That night, Satchimo came inside to sleep on his bed. Holly had planned to make him keep him outside so he wouldn't make a mess, but seeing the puppy sleeping on top of Mike was too cute for her to handle, so she let them be.

* * *

><p>A few weeks later, Holly heard about a new drug that was being tested for people with MPD called Cortexifol. Over the course of six months to a year, it was supposed to make the alternate personalities unify with the host, leaving only one personality. Needless to say, Holly was intrigued.<p>

She wondered if it was the right thing. She and Jack were getting to know Mike's alters better. Svetlana was fair and content and didn't take control from Mike too often. Manitoba and Vito were difficult, but they could be reasoned with. Chester wasn't too much of a problem, only in school when Mike got frustrated, usually at school. It seemed incredible, but she was actually fond of Mike's alters, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to see them go. But it would greatly improve Mike's life, and that trumped everything else.

She talked to Jack about it first. They were holding free trials of the drug that would start soon. He seemed to have the same thoughts on it as she did. They researched it to see if it was safe, and then decided they would let Mike decide if he wanted to try it or not.

"This drug will cure me?" he asked. They were sitting in the living room.

"It's supposed to, it's not guaranteed, though," said Holly. "If it does, you won't have multiple personalities anymore. How do you feel about that?"

"I don't know. They've been my only friends for so long now, I can't imagine life without them. What would happen to them, if they do go away? Would it be like I was murdering them? I can't murder them."

"It wouldn't be murder, son. I don't know exactly what would happen or how it would work, but I figure they would still be part of you," said Jack.

"If I didn't have multiple personalities, people wouldn't be creeped out by me anymore. No one would laugh at me or make fun of me or pick on me. I wouldn't have to worry about failing anymore tests because of them."

_Lucy wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen with me,_ _she might give me a chance,_ he thought privately.

"I could make all my own decisions, and hear only my own voice in my head… I want to try the drug. Even if it doesn't work, I have to try."

"Are you completely sure, Mike?" asked Holly.

"Yes, I'm completely sure. This could get me my life back."

Three weeks later, they were at the clinic holding the trials. Mike could hardly contain his excitement. The other personalities weren't so enthusiastic.

"_Svetlana cannot be believing zis! How could Mike be getting rid of us, after all ve have been through together? Ve are his family, and he vants us to go away? Forever?" _

"_Dang kid, no loyalty or respect or nothing. Kicking us to the curb like garbage."_

"_Does that stupid kid really think he can get rid of the Vito this easy? If he expects me to go down without a fight, he's got another thing coming."_

"_There's always the chance that the drug might not work, in which case we'd have nothing to worry about. Either way, I'm gonna teach that dingo a lesson, you just watch me."_

In the doctor's office, Mike had to have an MRI. He hated having to be in such a tiny space for so long, but he distracted himself by thinking of riding his bike and drawing pictures, and he pictured relaxing things in his mind. It wasn't easy, but he survived.

After the scan was finished, he was given a shot of a clear liquid with a bluish tinge. The shot hurt, but shots didn't really bother him anymore. He was sent home with instructions to take it easy and to not overexert himself. They told Holly to call them if they had any trouble, and to come back in a week for a checkup and his next dose.

For the first week, Mike did well. He didn't show any signs of the drug having an adverse effect on his system. When it was time for his next appointment, he was even more eager than before.

The other personalities could already feel its effects. They felt weaker, but only slightly. It was terrifying for them, to feel themselves starting to fade. They launched an attack from inside his mind. They didn't take control, but they fought from the inside. They yelled at Mike and demanded he stop taking the drug, and they pounded on the walls of his subconscious. They wouldn't let up, they kept up the assault at all times, so Mike was unable to get any rest at all.

Mal was mostly indifferent to the whole thing. He didn't want to die, but he wasn't scared of it, either. Alive, dead, it was all the same to him. He knew Mike would probably have bad symptoms from it, and that the other alters were losing their minds over the prospect of nonexistence, so that kept him entertained. But he also took advantage of the situation to make him feel extra miserable. He talked to Mike, whispering things that either he hadn't considered or already believed about himself. Mike's self-esteem was already low, Mal's hurtful words only made it worse. He did this often to pass the time, but he spoke louder and sent out more whispers than usual. They only worked if Mike was already feeling really low.

"_At least with alternate personalities you won't ever be lonely. Get rid of us and what have you got? You'd be just Mike, and just Mike isn't good enough for anyone. At least your personalities have amazing talents, what can you do? Draw mediocre pictures and bang on a piano, that's it. Without us, no would ever even spare you a passing glance. With us, at least you won't be forgotten. You might not be remembered fondly, but you'll be remembered."_

"_There's no such thing as true love, but even if there was you'd never find it. Personalities or not, who would ever want you? Even if you ever do find a girl to like you, she would have to be the most desperate girl on the planet. I would just give up if I were you. You're better off alone."_

"_Even if you do get rid of your disorder, nothing will change, no one will suddenly start to like you. Once a freak, always a freak."_

He started displaying other symptoms too, but these weren't caused by his personalities. He had no appetite, he had to make himself eat a little when Holly brought meals up to his room. He couldn't stand up without feeling dizzy, and he started getting migraines that lasted for days, so he had to stay in bed. He couldn't go to school and so they tried to help him do his work at home for a while, but there was only so much he could do in that state. Satchimo was there to comfort him, though.

"Good dog," said Mike affectionately as he rubbed his ears. Satchimo was lying by his side in bed, licking his hand. His dog stayed in bed with him until he recovered, and he felt much better with him around. He almost made him forget he was sick.

Holly called and reported his symptoms. They told her that other patients were experiencing them as well and that he would recover soon. She wasn't sure what she should do: take him off the drug to spare him the sickness but condemn him to life with his disorder? Or let him suffer a while longer so that he could maybe live a normal life? They decided to give it another go, and a nurse came to their house to give him his next shot since he couldn't come there.

During the third week, Mike's symptoms steadily became less severe, and he started to recover, just like the physicians said he would. He was able to go back to school. By this point, the alters had begun to accept their fate.

"_Well, not existing is better than having to listen to rock and/or roll music. I won't have to deal with anymore punks and their wild dancing."_

"_It vill be better for Mike zis way, maybe he vill be happier if he is alone."_

"_Can't say I blame the bugger, though I do wish he'd change his mind."_

"_I just wish I could have hooked up with a supermodel first."_

After a month on the drug, Mike started having doubts. He wasn't sick anymore, and the others had finally let up on their assault, but now they weren't talking to him at all. He didn't know if the drug had silenced them, or if they just didn't want to talk to him anymore. Either way, he didn't like it. He wasn't used to silence, it was too quiet for him.

He looked at his room, it had changed a lot since he'd first moved in. When he'd first moved in, the walls had been white and empty. Now they were painted turquoise, and there were posters hanging of his favorite movies. There was a picture on his bedside table of him with his parents, and on his dresser there were lego sets of planes, spaceships, and other cool things. He'd built them to keep his hands busy. His backpack was lying in the corner, next to a stack of his favorite books. His dog was sitting by his side, sleeping. All these things and more showed that he lived here, that he existed. But he wasn't the only one. Awards for gymnastics, ballet, figure skating, and ribbon dancing hung on the walls. By his dresser there were dumbbells, and there were a couple slips of paper on his dresser with numbers from girls he'd never met that he needed to throw away. There was a fedora hanging on the bedpost, and a cane by the window. Manitoba's treasure was buried outside, and Vito's skateboard was in the driveway. His personalities had left their mark, they were real, and he didn't think he could live with himself if he got rid of them.

"Mom, Dad, I don't think I want to take Cortexifol anymore," he said one night at the dinner table.

"Why not, sport? Are you feeling sick again?"

"No, it's not that. The others haven't been talking to me lately, I'm worried about them."

"That's just the medicine doing its job," said Holly. "Isn't this a good thing? I thought it was what you wanted."

"I thought so too, but I don't like the quiet."

"You'll get used to it eventually. I know it must be unnerving right now, but after a while you won't miss it."

"But I do miss it, I miss them. If I am cured, it won't guarantee that I'll be able to make friends. With the others around, I always have friends. It would be so lonely without them. Life might be easier if it was just me, but I feel bad about what I'm doing to them."

"Mike, we won't force you to keep using the drug, but you need to make absolutely certain that this is what you want," said Jack. "This is your life, not theirs. I know you care about them, but you need to do what's best for you."

"Think about it for three days," said Holly. "Think long and hard about the pros and cons of each option, but don't make any decisions until the three days are up. By then it'll be time for your next appointment. I don't think we can stop cold turkey anyway, they would probably have to wean you off it by giving you smaller doses."

"Okay, I'll wait. But what do you think? What would you do if you were in my place?"

"I can't say," said Jack. "It's impossible for me to imagine what MPD is like without experiencing it for myself. I suppose I'd want to be cured, but I don't know."

"If it were up to you, would you want me to keep using the drug?"

"If it's what's best for you, then we would keep you on it. We want you to be happy and healthy, that's all we want," said Holly.

Mike thought about it for three days. He felt so conflicted: on one hand, he wanted his mind to belong to him and him alone. On the other, his alters were the only friends he had. As far as he knew, they had always been with him, and he would miss them terribly if they were gone.

"I don't want to get rid of my personalities," he told them after the three days were up. "I want to stop taking Cortexifol. I'm completely sure."

Jack and Holly didn't argue, but they did wonder if this was a mistake. They informed the doctors that he wanted to stop, and they lowered his dosage and weaned him off.

Six months later, they heard online that the drug was a failure. No one suffered any long-lasting side effects, but no one was cured of their disorder, either. Even if Mike had chosen to stay on the drug, nothing would have changed. They weren't sure how to feel about it.

* * *

><p>For Mike's fourteenth birthday, they stayed in a hotel by the beach for the weekend. It had been a while since Jack and Holly had gotten to go on any vacations, and it was Mike's first time. The weather was perfect during their entire stay; it wasn't too hot, and there was no rain or storms.<p>

On their first night in the hotel, Jack baked a chocolate cake and Holly decorated it. Mike thought he was too old to be blowing out candles on the birthday cake, but he went along with it anyway and blew them out.

The trouble was, Vito would take over for a few hours each day to go surfing, tanning, and flirting. They tried to combat this by getting shirts on and off Mike as quickly as possible, and he had to wear a shirt while swimming. They also tried to pick parts of the beach that were empty, or as close to empty as possible.

"Where are all the sexy babes? What's a beach party without smokin' hot chicks?" he asked in frustration.

"Maybe they'll be out tomorrow," said Holly from their beach blanket.

Vito wasn't as resistant to letting Mike have control when there were no girls around to impress.

Manitoba also tried to come out, because being by the open sea made him want to sail in a boat to the end of the world.

"Manitoba, you can't sail to the edge of the world, it's not flat," said Jack as he had to physically hold him back from swimming out to a boat sailing on the water.

"How would you know that? Who's the explorer here?"

They couldn't keep them in all the time, but they didn't hog all of Mike's time, either. When Mike was in control, they played frisbee and made sandcastles. They buried Mike in the sand and built a castle over him. Mike dug a little hole in the sand and filled it with water. He caught some fish that were smaller than his fingers, along with tiny hermit crabs and put them in the water, and he had a little aquarium. He decorated it with some of the shells he had collected.

One day they went fishing. Jack showed Mike what types of bait worked best and how to secure them to the line, and Holly showed him the best way to cast so it would go out far. They only caught dogfish, which looked like baby sharks.

"Does this mean there are bigger sharks out there?" asked Mike the first time he caught one. He was proud of himself for catching it, but it was worrisome.

"No, there are no sharks here, the water isn't deep enough," said Holly. "You have nothing to fear."

Mike was relieved, and he went back to fishing.

They took long walks up and down the beach, and they collected new shells for Holly's collection. They brought Satchimo along with them, and they played fetch on the sand and in the water.

They went snorkeling, as well. Mike marveled at all the colorful fish that swam past. They saw a few jellyfish, but they were tiny and didn't come too close. They saw some dolphins in the distance, and a sea turtle swam right up to them. Mike held onto it and it pulled him through the water.

Every night, they would go crab hunting. They took their flashlights and nets and scanned the shore for crabs. Every time one was spotted, they would chase it and try to catch it before it made it to its hole in the sand.

"Behind you, Mike! Don't let it get away!" said Jack.

Mike chased the crab, but it was too fast and it escaped into its hole in the sand. But he saw another and ran after it, and managed to catch it just before it got away.

"I caught it, and it's a big one!" said Mike as he looked at in the net. It scurried around trying to escape. He didn't keep it long and let it go, and then he spotted another one and chased it.

At the end of every day, they would sit on the sand and watch the sun go down over the water. The way the reds and oranges reflected on the water was absolutely stunning. Mike made sure to memorize what it looked like, because it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and he knew no photo or painting could ever do it justice.

* * *

><p>When Mike entered ninth grade, he joined the drama club at school. He auditioned for the first two plays but each time he was glanced over and given jobs behind the scenes. But when he auditioned for the third play, the casting manager made a mistake and accidentally let him in, and after names were posted it was too late to correct it, so Mike was given one of the lead roles in their production of <em>Sweeney Todd<em>. He would be playing Anthony, and Lucy, to his excitement and horror, was playing his love interest, Johanna.

He was given a script to practice at home, and he started working on his English accent and practicing his singing. He was surprised that he was able to sing well, he hadn't ever really done it before getting this role. One of his favorite things about acting was that it allowed him to slip into someone else's shoes temporarily, he could deal with their problems instead of his own.

As he practiced singing the song "Johanna" he waltzed in his room, pretending he was dancing with the girl he loved. Was that girl Lucy? He wasn't sure. When he tried to picture a face for his invisible partner, he drew a blank. He tried to picture Lucy, but it didn't feel natural for some reason.

During this time, Mike started going through a growth spurt. When they had first found him when he was ten, he was tall for his age, but he hadn't grown much since then and he was shorter than everyone else. But this growth spurt had him growing so much that he outgrew his costume and they had to have Wendy come down and tailor it for him.

"I always knew you'd be a tall one, hold still, you're too squirmy," she said as she swatted his hand. They were standing in the kitchen while she took his measurements.

"You need to stop growing, Mike," said Jack. He was sitting at the table having lunch. "I know you're going to be way taller than me, you already almost are and you've barely begun to grow. You make me feel like a midget, you and your mother both."

"I'm sorry you have to live in a house of giants, Jackie," said Wendy. "Maybe someday you'll finally hit that growth spurt."

"I liked it better when you were smaller, back then I could pretend I was tall," he said with a laugh.

"But now I won't ever be able to play a munchkin, and that's my dream role," he said sadly, making them both laugh.

Wendy said, "So who's the girl playing Johanna? She'd better treat you right, or I'll become absolutely monstrous. I'll never be too old to look after my boys."

"Nana, it's just a play, not marriage." Thinking of marriage made Mike blush.

"You don't need to be looking for a girlfriend or a wife, Mike," Wendy continued. "You're perfect just the way you are, adding someone else to the picture would do you no favors."

"Nana, if I had taken that advice, Mike wouldn't be here now," said Jack. "And I wouldn't be here either if your son had listened to you."

"Yes, the only good things to come out of it," said Wendy as she patted his cheek. Jack just rolled his eyes.

Wendy finished and said, "That should do it, you're going to look so handsome. I'll have your costume ready in a few days, but at the rate you're growing it'll be too short again by then."

"I'll try to contain it," said Mike with a grin. He liked the feeling of being taller.

"Where are you staying, Nana?" asked Jack.

"I'm going to rent a room at the hotel downtown."

"Wait Nana, you should stay here with us," said Mike. "You can sleep in my room, I'll sleep on the couch."

"Nonsense, I'm not about to kick my great-grandson out of his room."

"But this way we can spend more time together. I really don't mind the couch, won't you please stay with us, just until my play?"

"Oh all right, but only for you. But if you want your room back before then, just say the word and I'll hit the road, I don't want to overstay my welcome."

Giving up his bed was a small price to pay to get to spend a few days with his grandmother. She was the only person he could practice his lines in front of without feeling self-conscious. She gave him tips and pointers that really helped and improved his acting and singing.

"Now that's enough practicing for today, I don't want you to lose your voice right before the show. Now, let's ditch the old people and go do something fun."

Mike thought it was funny how she referred to every adult as "old people." She had such a young spirit he supposed that everyone else did seem old to her.

During play practice, he didn't speak much unless he was getting directions from the director or practicing dialogue with another actor. He couldn't tell how Lucy felt about playing his love interest, her face stayed blank through practice and was impossible to read. There were no kissing scenes, which was both a relief and a disappointment. He looked forward to and dreaded each scene with her, fearing that either one of his personalities would appear and ruin everything or he would ruin it without their help.

But it was the strangest thing, during practice he didn't mess up his lines or trip over his own feet or break any props. He was nervous, but once in character, he could pretend he wasn't nervous. He was anxious, but at the same time it was like a calm settled over him and he could recite his lines and give off the appropriate emotion without hardly thinking about it. He didn't understand it, but he didn't question it.

On the night of the play, Mike was more nervous than ever, but he was still able to pretend to be calm. He had to open the play with the first song, he had to get it right.

"I have sailed the world, and seen its wonders,

From the Dardanelles, to the mountains of Peru.

But there's no place like London!"

He sang with Sweeney Todd and gave his lines with no difficulty. He saw his parents and grandparents in the audience, which bolstered his confidence. A little later, from backstage, he listened as Lucy sang.

"Green finch and linnet bird,

Nightingale, blackbird,

How is it you sing?"

Her voice was like wind chimes, and he swooned. He had heard her sing this song dozens of times during practice, but it never ceased to set his heart aflutter.

"My cage has many rooms,

Damask and dark.

Nothing there sings,

Not even my lark.

Larks never will, you know,

When they're captive.

Teach me to be more adaptive.

Green finch and linnet bird,

Nightingale, blackbird,

Teach me how to sing.

If I cannot fly,

Let me sing."

When it was time, he went out on the stage to sing "Johanna." This was the scene that could make or break him, because it was just him by himself.

"I feel you, Johanna, I feel you.

I was half convinced I'd waken,

Satisfied enough to dream you.

Happily I was mistaken, Johanna.

I'll steal you, Johanna,

I'll steal you.

Do they think that walls could hide you?

Even now, I'm at your window.

I am in the dark beside you,

Buried sweetly in your yellow hair!

I feel you, Johanna,

And one day I'll steal you!

Til I'm with you then,

I'm with you there,

Sweetly buried in your yellow hair!"

He couldn't believe it when he actually got an applause. It wasn't as loud as the applause the others got, but they were actually clapping for him, they enjoyed his performance. It was unbelievable.

Between his scenes, Mike marveled at how so far none of his alters had shown up. Maybe it had something to do with his mindset during acting. He didn't know, but he was grateful for it. But the play wasn't over yet.

When it came time for the scene where Anthony rescues Johanna from the asylum, he felt a strange sort of confidence, he felt like a hero. As he delivered his lines and escaped with her, he imagined what it would be like if Lucy really was in danger and he saved her, like in a fairytale. He kept this all to himself, of course.

Then it came time for his final scene with Johanna. Before he went onstage his hands were trembling, but he managed to control them and put on an air of confidence he didn't feel. He couldn't stop his heart from racing as he held Lucy's hands, it was beating so hard it felt like it was coming out of his chest.

"You wait for him here, I'll return with a coach in less than half an hour," he said. "Don't worry, no one'll recognize you. You're safe now."

"Safe? So, we run away and then all our dreams come true?"

"I hope so."

"I've never had dreams. Only nightmares."

"Johanna, when we're free of this place, all the ghosts will go away."

"No, Anthony. They never go away." The way she looked at him in that moment, as though he really was saving her, it made the whole thing feel so real.

"I'll be right back to you. Half an hour and we'll be free."

He went backstage, his role finished. However, it wasn't over yet. One of his personalities could still come out as they all took their bows before the audience and ruin the show.

A few minutes later, Lucy came backstage, as well. She didn't so much as look at him as she passed by, but he didn't mind, he was still riding the high of holding her hands, even if it was just an act.

The play ended and they all took their bows. Mike couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. He'd gotten a big part in a play, none of his personalities screwed it up, the crowd liked his performance, and he got to be around Lucy. Everything had gone better than he'd ever dared hope.

"That was awesome man, high five!" said Trent, the boy who had played Sweeney Todd. They had never before spoken outside of play practice. Trent was one of the coolest kids in school, and he was always surrounded by his several friends. He high-fived him, amazed that one of the cool kids was talking to him. "You blew us all away up there, I was impressed."

"Thanks, Trent. You were great as Sweeney Todd, you were really convincing."

"Is it a compliment or an insult when people tell you you play a serial killer well? I can never tell." They both laughed at that. "I didn't even audition, they just cast me in it. I'm not sure if it's because I'm popular or because they think I'll be mass murderer someday."

"Maybe both."

"Maybe. Acting was fun, but I think from now on I'll stick with band. It's always great to try new things, though. You should definitely stay in drama though, you didn't seem like you at all, it's like you really were Anthony. No one else in drama club is as good at method acting as you are, you should make a career out of it."

"I plan to, I mean, I hope I'm good enough."

"Anyway, at least this was a learning experience for us all. Now we all know how to make fake blood, in case we ever have an emergency that requires it."

"You can never be too prepared, and there are so many uses for it."

"I can't believe you got to play Lucy's lover, most of the guys were not too pleased about that. You know, you should ask her out. If you play a couple in a play, then it must be a sign of providence that it's meant to be."

"I don't think it's a sign, but I'm thinking about it."

"Okay. Well, see you around, Mike. We should hang out sometime."

"See you later."

Everything in the play tonight had gone right, it had even motivated someone to speak to him, someone who had never spoken to him before. He took that as a sign of providence that he was meant to be an actor. The director gave him many more important roles after that, and he felt his confidence lift a little.


	17. The Race

Mike tried at least once a week to follow his father's advice about talking to Lucy. Her locker was right next to his. Most of the time, he would take a step in her direction, but would quickly turn away to avoid failure. On some days, however, he would actually work up the courage to speak to her in the hallway. Encouraged by the Sweeney Todd play, he decided he would finally go for it.

"Hi, Lucy," he said one day. "How are you today?"

She turned her head to look at him, and in that second he over-analyzed everything he had just said and everything he wanted to say to keep from sounding desperate or stupid. Sounding desperate or stupid would just push her away even further.

"I'm fine, how are you?" she replied politely.

"Good, I'm good. And I'm glad you're fine, not that you have a reason not to be." He internally kicked himself; why couldn't his brain function when he needed it to the most? "You look very pretty today. I mean, not that you normally don't look pretty, but… um… you look nice."

"Um, thanks."

There was an awkward silence. Mike wasn't sure what he should say next. Lucy said, "Well, I should get to class. See you, Mike."

"Wait, just wait a second." He took a deep breath, he was going to do it, he was going to ask her out. He couldn't live with himself if he never tried. "Would you… would you like to go out sometime, with me?"

She stifled a laugh and said, "Sorry Mike, but no. You're a good actor, you're hot, but the answer is no. You understand why, right?"

"Yeah, yeah I know." He blushed and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Do you think we could at least be friends?"

She hesitated and bit her lip. "Sure, we can be friends." Even as she said it, he knew she didn't mean it.

She turned and went to class. He followed her and they took their seats in science class. As the teacher began the lecture, Mike was dealing with the disappointment of rejection. It wasn't unexpected, but it still hurt. At least he could be satisfied in knowing that he had tried. Not only that, but she had said he was hot, which meant that she might date him if he didn't have MPD. He might have a real chance with her, if not for his disorder.

The more Mike thought about it, the more determined he became to do something about it. He got the idea that maybe his medication was holding him back, and that if he stopped using it, he could learn to control his alters on his own.

After school that day, when he was supposed to take his medication, he only took half the dosage he was supposed to take. He knew it would be unwise to just stop cold turkey, so he would wean himself off it over the next few days.

By the next week, he had completely stopped taking his meds. At first, he felt no change, and that encouraged him. He took it as a sign that he was doing the right thing and that his plan would work.

But a few days later, he started feeling a dip in his mood. It started out simple, he just had some trouble sleeping, but nothing major. He ignored this easily.

But then he started to feel more anxious and depressed than usual. He first noticed it at school, and he brushed it off. Of course he was going to feel anxious at school, everyone did. He became fidgety and jittery in class, and Chester started coming out even more. He started feeling nervous at home too, and he had trouble focusing on homework, but he chose to look the other way.

He also started losing patience with his parents. He loved talking to them and spending time with them, but now he just wanted to be left alone.

"Hey Mike, how was school today?" asked Jack as Mike came inside.

"Fine," Mike replied. Satchimo ran up to him and tried to get his attention, but he ignored him. His parents thought that was odd.

"Just fine?"

"Nothing to report."

"Mike, you haven't talked to us in days, what's wrong?" asked Holly.

"Nothing's wrong, I just don't feel like talking," he snapped.

"You've been acting strange lately, what's going on?"

"Nothing, everything's fine."

"Mike, please talk to us."

"Just leave me alone, okay? Get off my back!"

He regretted the words the second they left his mouth. Jack and Holly looked hurt, he had never raised his voice or yelled at them before.

"I'm sorry," he said before he ran up the stairs. He shut the door and locked it.

Jack and Holly left him alone the rest of the evening. They felt it would be best if they did what he asked and gave him some space for a while. If this behavior continued, they would talk to him about it.

Up in his room, Mike considered taking his medication, but then he would be a quitter. If he gave up now, he'd never be free of the pills. He was sure that if he could just be strong enough for just a little while longer, he wouldn't need to take any medication ever again. If he quit now, it would mean he was weak.

He was already feeling anxious, but it gradually got worse and worse. He started having trouble breathing, and he realized that he was having an anxiety attack. His vision blurred and he started blacking in and out of consciousness. Inside his mind he could hear dozens of voices screaming and wailing at him. It was worse than a rake on a chalkboard, and he couldn't make it stop.

"Mike? Mike, what's going on? Why are you screaming?" he heard Holly say from outside the door.

He wasn't aware that he was screaming. He was only aware of those wretched voices.

"Mike, let us in, son! Unlock the door!" said Jack.

They heard a crash, and Jack took the key above the door, the one they kept for emergencies like this, and opened it. The lamp was broken on the floor, and Mike was on the floor by it, his body convulsing.

Jack ran to the bathroom to get his medication and Holly got down on the floor to hold him and try to bring him back to himself.

"Can you hear me, Mike? Come back to me, baby. You can do it, listen to my voice and find your way back."

Mike gasped and said, "The circus is in town, I'm going to the circus!"

Holly recognized it as Carrot Top. This was the third time that she had seen him, though she knew he had come out more often than that. She went along with what he was saying. "You're going to the circus? Have you ever been there before?"

"No, this is my first time!" He leapt off the floor and started jumping on the bed. "It's a present for my sixth birthday!"

His excitement died when he saw Jack. He crawled under the bed and said, "Daddy's here, he's going to ruin my fun like he did last time."

"Mike, please come out," said Holly.

"Not until he's gone!"

Jack didn't have to be told twice. He left the room, leaving Holly alone with Mike. "He's gone, you can come out now."

He peeked out to see if she was telling the truth, and then he slowly crawled back out.

"What did your daddy do to you?"

"Can't tell, promised I wouldn't tell, he'll get mad at me if I tell," he said as he bit his thumb and started pacing around the room. She noticed he started walking with a limp, favoring his right leg. "I'm not a tattletale, I'm not a tattletale."

"He doesn't ever have to know that you told me. If you do, I'll keep it a secret and I won't tell anyone so you don't get in trouble."

"There's clowns at the circus, and cotton candy," he mumbled to himself nervously. He always did this to avoid questions he didn't like.

"I only want to help you."

"Elephants too, and fireworks."

"I would never do anything to get you into trouble."

"There's lions in the circus, Daddy was like a lion. He'll get me if I tell, but I'm not gonna tell. Not gonna tell… not gonna tell…"

"The lions in the circus don't hurt anyone, they obey the lion tamer. You don't have to be scared of the lions."

"He's worse than the lions, he burned my leg and made it hard to walk." He gasped and cringed. "Oh no, I wasn't supposed to tell you that." He started panicking and breathing rapidly. "Now I'm in big trouble, and I can't get away because no matter where I go he always finds me!"

He ran to the window and opened it and tried to climb out, but Holly grabbed him around the middle and tried to pull him back inside. He was stronger than her, but she held on and wouldn't let go.

"It's okay, you're safe now!"

"No, no, no! I promised I wouldn't tell, but I told and now he'll do it again!" He was crying hysterically now. "It's not a secret anymore and it's all my fault and he's going to be really mad at me! I didn't mean to tell, I tried to keep it secret. He's always mad at me and now it's worse! If you don't let me go he'll burn me again! It hurts real bad."

Holly managed to pull him back inside. She turned him around to face her and held him in place by the shoulders and said, "Mike, it's okay!

"No! Let me go! Let go of me!" he screamed.

"Look at me, it's okay!" She hugged him, but he cried out as though her touch had scalded him. He pushed her away and ran to the bathroom and locked the door.

She went to the door and lightly knocked. "Please come out."

"No," he said through the door.

"Did I do something wrong? Did I scare you?"

"You hugged me."

"You don't like being hugged?"

"Daddy hugged me and then he tripped me down the stairs," he whimpered. "He gave me a piece of candy before he burned me."

"If a person hugs you and then does something to hurt you, then the hug is ruined, isn't it? And sweet things don't mean anything if they're followed by something bad. Your daddy spoiled good things by hurting you, didn't he? And now you don't like hugs because you think it means something bad is going to happen. Did your mommy do that, too?"

"A little, Daddy did it more though."

"Hugs are wonderful, Mike. If you come out and let me hug you, I promise nothing bad will happen. I won't hurt you, this hug is to make you feel better. Will you let me hug you?"

"You're not going to burn me, are you?"

"I would never do that."

"Okay, you can hug me." He slowly unlocked the door and stepped out with his head hanging down. He was still sobbing.

Very slowly and gently, Holly put her arms around him, but he didn't hug her back. "Does that feel better?"

He nodded his head yes, but then pushed her away. "I'm in big trouble, he's coming for me. He's so big and I'm so little, he'll always find me. I just want to go back to my white house with the pink roses, where all my toys and my brothers and sisters are. I don't get hurt there."

"I'll keep your daddy away, I won't let him hurt you."

"Why doesn't he love me? Did I do something wrong? How did I make him mad?"

"You did nothing wrong. I don't know why he did it, some people do bad things and we never know why. But he's gone now, and he's not going to find you as long as you're with me. Does your leg still hurt?"

"Yes, he said it wouldn't hurt but it did."

"Would you like a band aid?"

"Yeah."

Holly went to Mike's bathroom and took out the box of band aids. With Vito, Manitoba and Svetlana around, these always came in handy. "What color do you want?"

"Y-Yellow."

"There's one yellow band aid left. Now, can you sit down by the bed so I can put it on?"

He sat down. She went to Mike's closet and took out the teddy bear they kept on hand for him. She gave it to him and he hugged it tightly. She knelt down by his side and said, "Where does it hurt?"

He pointed to the place on his right calf, and she gently rolled up his pant leg. She could see a faint pink scar in the shape of a flat iron, you'd only see it if you were looking for it. She already knew his biological parents were terrible people, but seeing this scar gave her a burning hatred for his father. She could almost hear Mike's agonized screams as a child, with no one around willing to help him. It made her want to cry, but she acted natural so he wouldn't get more upset. She put the band aid on it and then pulled the pant leg back down. With a smile she said, "There we go, all better. You're a very brave patient. I'd give you a lollipop, but I don't have one."

"Don't ever give me anything, nice things mean bad things," he said as he cringed.

"Is the pain gone?"

"Yeah, it feels better now." He was calming down now, and he stopped crying.

Holly sat down beside him, and he moved and sat in her lap the way a little child would, still biting his thumb. He put his head on her shoulder and she put her arms around him and held him close.

"Where's Miss Aria? Is she here?" he asked softly.

"No, she's not here. She's helping other people right now."

"I want to see her, I miss her."

"I'm sure she misses you, too. You can talk to her on another day. You know, I never got a chance to thank you for what you did for Mike two years ago. It was very brave of you to call Jack when you needed help, and you saved his life."

"I didn't want him to feel bad. Why don't you hurt him anymore? Why did you stop being mean?"

It always hurt Holly when lesser personalities like this were afraid of her. They couldn't understand that she wasn't Mike's biological mother, or that Jack wasn't his biological father. Some of them were okay with her but scared of Jack, and some were okay around Jack but terrified of her. Some couldn't stand either one of them, and when they came out they had to call Dr. Lace because she was the only one who could get close to him without upsetting him further. She was very understanding about it and was willing to drop whatever she was doing just to come out and help him. She guessed it was because some of them took more abuse from one parent than the other. This one must have been more abused by his father than his mother for him to feel this comfortable with her. It hurt her deeply to see it, because when she saw their fear and their pain, all she could see was Mike's suffering. But she felt sorry for them just for their sake, too. Since they had no concept of time, they still believed they were at the mercy of Mike's parents, and they always would be.

"I decided that I didn't want to hurt Mike or any of you anymore, and I'm so sorry that I ever did hurt and frighten you. I promise I won't ever do it again. Can you forgive me?"

"I think so. Do you love me?"

"Yes, I love all of you, I really do. Why don't you tell me about the circus, tell me what you like about it. Do you like the acrobats?"

"Yeah, and the, balloon animals, too."

He told her all the things he liked about the circus while she rubbed his back and hummed a lullaby to console him. At some point, Mike returned, but he was still in the midst of the attack. It was a couple hours before he was able to calm down and form thoughts again. He was still out of breath and shaky.

"Mom?" he said, feeling confused.

"He's back," said Holly. Jack slowly opened the door and came inside, still holding the water and pills. It was nighttime, but neither one knew what time it was.

"Here son, take your meds," said Jack as he held them out to him.

"No," he said as he tried to catch his breath. "I'm not taking any more pills."

"Mike, you need to take your pills, you're not out of the woods just yet."

"I don't need them."

"That was the worst attack you've had in months. Have you been taking your pills every day like you're supposed to?"

"No, and I know it looks bad, but I'm fine, really. It's just taking longer to adjust than I thought it would."

"No wonder you've been acting odd lately. Mike, you need those pills."

"I don't want to be dependent on pills for the rest of my life. If pills are the only thing keeping me happy and sane, then that means I'm weak and pathetic. I don't want to have to rely on a crutch to get by."

"Blind people have seeing-eye dogs, deaf people have hearing aids, and crippled people use canes or wheelchairs. Does that make them weak?" asked Jack.

"No," said Mike quietly.

"Cancer patients use chemo, and people with infections use antibiotics. Are they weak because they have to take medicine?"

"No."

"So why is it weak for you to take medication?"

"Those people need those things, I should be able to get through life without having to rely on drugs. What if one day I'm in a situation where meds aren't available? What if one day I'm in a plane crash on a deserted island? Deserted islands don't have pharmacies, so I'd just crash and burn right along with the plane. This is why I want to stop taking them, so that I can be independent."

"Mike, there is no shame in needing a little help," said Holly. "No one goes through life without having to ask for help every now and again. No one likes having to take medication every day, but tell the truth, do you like the change not taking your pills has caused? You're moody and distant, you've been anxious and having trouble sleeping too, haven't you? At least with the meds you were happy, I haven't seen you smile or heard you laugh in days. I need that smile, it lights up the whole house."

"I guess I haven't really been myself lately. I hate feeling this way, but I think it would be worth it in the long run if I could make my body function without them."

"Of course you can function without them, but we don't want you to be depressed and anxious most of the time. Not to mention, you're better able to contain your alters on the medication. They've been making more guest appearances than usual lately. And these anxiety attacks wear you down, they drain you and make you feel like you're dying. No one wants to see their kid go through that. We love you so much, Mike, more than you will ever know."

"The only thing worse than suffering," said Jack. "Is seeing your child suffer."

Mike had to admit that they were right, he needed his meds. He remembered his worst attack, when that half-formed alter nearly killed him. It hadn't shown itself since then, but there was always the possibility that it could come back. Not only that, but he hated feeling this way, he wanted to feel okay again.

"All right, I'll take my meds."

"Thank you," said Holly.

Jack handed him the pills and he downed them with the water.

"Good, now go to sleep," said Holly. "We could all use some sleep."

* * *

><p>A few weeks later, Mike was back to his old self again. He was cheerful and talkative, and his parents were very relieved.<p>

One Saturday, a couple months after he turned fifteen, Mike got an unexpected call from Trent. He had spent the summer on Total Drama for two seasons and he had just returned home after getting voted off.

"Hey Mike, I was going to hang out with some of my friends today, but they all canceled. Are you free?"

"Yeah, yeah I am."

"Cool, meet me at the mall in ten minutes."

"See you there." Mike hung up the phone, surprised that Trent had meant it when he'd said they should hang out. Holly dropped him off at the mall, happy to see him hanging out with someone his age. Mike quickly spotted Trent.

"Let's go to the music store, that okay with you?"

"Sure, anything's fine with me."

Trent told Mike about his favorite albums and songs. Mike didn't really have an opinion on any genre, it was all good to him, so he was a good listener about this kind of thing. Trent bought a new album, and Mike bought one that Trent recommended for him based on his personality. They left the store and went to the arcade. They started out playing different games, and then started playing a two-player racing one. Mike had more experience with video games and so he won.

"Good game," said Trent once it ended. "Hey, let's go to the food court for lunch."

They both got chicken strips and fries and sat down to eat. Mike said, "Trent, not that I don't enjoy your company, but why are you hanging out with me?"

"Ever since Total Drama, I'm always surrounded by people pretending to be friends, fangirls, or paparazzi. It's nice to be around people who don't worship me. I just like hanging out like any other teenager."

"By the way, I'm sorry about what went down with Gwen. I know you really liked her."

"Yeah, I miss her, I really messed up. Maybe if we had actually talked, things might not have gone down like they did. I was afraid of losing her, and it made me… well… yeah." Trent finished lamely. "I'm trying to move on, find another girl."

"Shouldn't be too hard," said Mike with a smile.

"Hey Mike, I was wondering, what does your dad think of you going into acting?"

"He's all for it. He plays improv games with me to practice sometimes, usually on car rides."

"That's awesome. My dad wants me to be an accountant, like him. I just want to play my guitar and open my own bike shop where I can work on motorcycles. Sometimes I think I should just to make him happy, but I can't give up on my dreams for someone else's, you know what I mean?"

"I do, but in a different way. I've got personalities that all have dreams of their own, and it's not easy when they all pull in different directions." He mentally berated himself, Trent didn't want to hear about that. "Hopefully your dad will see your side of things and will be okay with you not following in his footsteps."

"You know Mike, I had my doubts about you for a while there, you're pretty weird, no offence. But you're a cool guy."

"I understand, I am pretty weird, but thanks, that means a lot coming from someone as cool as you."

"I still can't believe people think I'm cool, I'm just like everyone else. Don't put me or anyone else on a pedestal, Mike, 'cause I'm bound to fall off. I did in Total Drama Action. But it's cool, I'm not complaining. But I don't see how you don't have more friends."

"Well, um, yeah," said Mike lamely, not sure how to respond to that.

"I get it, you're a loner by choice, right? A maverick."

"Uh, sure."

"Seriously though, people at school shouldn't be so hard on you. Maybe if you were more confident. I'm not always as confident as I look, but if people think you're sure of yourself, it makes them want to be around you more."

"Easier said than done. No one's harder on me than me." He laughed, trying to play it off as a joke, when it really wasn't.

"That sucks. I've got a little thing of my own, not as bad as yours, but it's still annoying," said Trent as he lined his fries into rows of nine. "It's hard work, but it's not impossible. Mike, I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone. I'm only telling you because you're the only person I know who would understand."

"What is it?" Mike asked curiously. How could he trust him more than his closer friends?

"Well, this isn't easy for me to say." Trent seemed nervous, he had never seen him nervous before, only chill and laid back. He whispered, "I have OCD."

"Really? I had no idea." Mike couldn't believe it.

He nodded. "It's not too bad, but yeah, I do. That's why I kind of went a little nuts on Total Drama Action, I was afraid of losing Gwen and it stressed me out, and extra stress always sets off my OCD. It was worse than it's ever been before, it's really no surprise that Gwen broke up with me. You know I don't care what anyone thinks of me, but this isn't really something I would want broadcasted. I'm telling you because I trust you with this."

"Have you told Gwen?"

"Not yet, I was a little afraid it would make things worse between us."

"You should, it might help you work things out."

"I plan to tell her the next time I see her. She should know."

"But Trent, why are you trusting me with it?"

"I thought it would be a little obvious."

"Oh, oh yeah."

"As annoying as OCD is, I don't even want to know how bad MPD must be. OCD would be a walk in the park compared to that."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of telling anyone. Yeah, I bet that sucks. Is… is that the reason you wanted to hang out? Because I'm the only person you know with a mental disorder?"

"No, no, not at all. I mean, yeah, a little bit, at first. Before the play, since you're a grade below me, I hadn't really seen your personalities in action much, I'd mostly just heard about it. And then we started practicing and I saw them up close and personal. One day I was playing my guitar while I was waiting for my turn to go up on stage, and Chester told me how awful my music was and threatened to throw my guitar out a window."

"I am so sorry about that, I had no idea."

"It's cool man, I honestly thought it was kinda funny. If my music upsets the old people, then I'm doing a good job."

Mike laughed, and Trent went on. "I saw you acting up on stage, and when you got into character it was surprisingly easy to forget you were the kid in school with the multiple personalities. Off stage you could switch at any second, but for some reason up there you were able to keep them in. But just the fact that you were confident enough to audition instead of just trying to stay invisible, and then you knocked the role out of the park, it was kind of inspiring. If you can get stuff done with four other people always trying to hog the wheel, then there's no way I'm ever letting my OCD stop me from doing anything. I really needed it after what went down with Gwen, it makes me think that maybe we can patch things up someday. So yeah, the initial reason was because I was looking for someone who would understand what I'm going through, but you've turned out to be pretty cool, and I'm proud to call you my friend."

"Hey, you're still one of the coolest guys I know, so you obviously haven't let OCD stop you from doing anything. You shouldn't ever let it stop you."

"Yeah, and I think you need to take some of your own advice."

"What do you mean?"

"Our school is full of eligible young ladies, and I can tell you would be a good boyfriend."

"Oh," said Mike awkwardly. "Well, um, I'd like to, sure, but I don't think-"

"Why not? You know, I think you could have a real chance with Lucy."

"I asked her out once, she turned me down. And besides, don't you want to ask her out? You could have any girl you want."

"Nah, she's pretty and all, but I'm more into goth chicks, as you might have guessed from Total Drama. I like how cool and edgy they are, and how they do their own thing and don't care what anyone thinks. It's part of the reason I accepted the Sweeney Todd role, the girl playing Mrs. Lovett was hot. What kind of girls are you in to, Mike?"

"I also like girls who do their own thing, and aren't afraid to express themselves in their own way. I think it's cute when they wear bright colors, the goth girl look isn't for me, no offense."

"Hey, no prob, we all have our different tastes."

"Girls who are cheerful and nice, but can put people in their place when they need to."

He followed Trent's gaze over to a group of girls in line to buy ice cream. One of them wore black clothes and dark makeup, obviously goth. Lucy was with them, looking gorgeous as always. They admired the girls from afar, both caught up in their own daydreams, until a woman passing by scolded them and said, "Quit gawking and show some respect, you pervs."

Trent and Mike were both mortified, they hadn't meant to do anything wrong. They kept their eyes away from the girls the rest of the time.

Before they parted ways, Trent said, "Let's hang out again soon, okay pal?"

"Sure thing!"

"And Mike, ask Lucy out. I think you'd be a really cute couple."

"You should ask out Mrs. Lovett."

"I did, didn't work out. I'm thinking about asking out the girl playing the White Witch in the Narnia play. Are you in it?"

"Yeah, I'm playing Maugrim, the captain of the witch's secret police. I get killed in it, that's always fun."

"Awesome. But I wouldn't have pictured you as an evil wolf, you seem way too nice for that."

"Well, you played a serial killer."

"True, true."

"I actually auditioned for the role of Mr. Tumnus, I don't know how I ended up as Maugrim. It was probably another casting error, they cast Maurice as Lucy Pevensie, and not only is he male, he's one of the biggest guys in school. They fixed it, though."

"I'm sure he would have given a captivating performance as a little girl, he would bring tears to our eyes," said Trent, laughing. "Playing Maugrim will test your acting abilities, we can see how versatile you are. But if you're the captain of her guard, can you hook me up?"

"I would, but Vito insulted her for being too pasty on the first day of practice. I think having me as your wingman would hurt your chances."

"It's cool, dude. Well, break a leg, and I'll see you later."

"Thanks, Trent. And good luck with the bike shop."

"My future motorcycles and I thank you."

They didn't get to hang out too often because of conflicting schedules, and Trent had a lot of other friends to hang out with, but he still made time for Mike. It was great to finally have a friend.

* * *

><p>Mike was down on his knees in front of Satchimo. He took a dog treat and carefully balanced it on his nose.<p>

"All right boy, don't move until I tell you." He waited a few seconds, and then said, "Now!"

Satchimo tossed the treat into the air and caught it in his teeth.

"Yeah, good boy! Great job, Satch!" he said as he rubbed his stomach, the way he liked it.

Jack came in from work, and Mike took a flier out of his pocket and ran to meet him.

"Hey, Mike," he greeted him.

"Dad, look at this!" said Mike excitedly. "This Saturday there's going to be a father-son race at the park! I already signed us up! Isn't this great?"

Jack wasn't exactly thrilled to hear that. He had never been strong or fast, and he'd never won anything in sports. But he put on a smile for Mike and said, "That's great, son. What time does it start?"

"There's a picnic at noon, and then at two o'clock after everyone's finished, the race starts."

"Well then, I'd better go find my running shoes," said Jack.

"We make a great team, Dad. We're going to win for sure!"

Mike ran up the stairs to do his homework, and Holly came out of the kitchen with a soda.

"A father-son race, that'll be a lot of fun."

"You know I'm not athletic, not even in the broadest definition of the word. I'll just slow Mike down, he'd be better off without me."

"Just do your best, that's all anyone's asking of you."

"I hope they have paramedics on standby, I don't think my heart can take the exertion."

* * *

><p>For the rest of the week, Jack and Mike would go running after school to practice for the race. Mike had no trouble running long distances without a break, but Jack had to stop every few feet to catch his breath. Mike didn't mind slowing down for him, but Jack felt ashamed of himself for holding him back.<p>

"You could give the Road Runner a run for his money," said Jack as they stopped by a mailbox for him to catch his breath. Mike wasn't even winded. Satchimo was running with them, he bent over to scratch behind his ears.

"It's because of Svetlana and Vito, Manitoba too, with all his climbing. I don't think I could be out of shape even if I wanted to be."

"It's times like these when having them around would come in handy. This stitch in my side is killing me."

"You're doing great, Dad. I can't wait until Saturday, that race is ours."

"Yeah, ours." He should have told him the truth, that he would be lucky if he crossed the finish line at all, but he couldn't bring himself to put a damper on Mike's enthusiasm.

When Saturday arrived, Jack hadn't improved very much. They drove to the park, where they were serving hamburgers and hotdogs.

As they were waiting in line to get their food, one of the boys from Mike's class at school got in line behind them and said, "So, Multiple Mike has graced us with his presence. Don't tell me you're in the race."

"As a matter of fact, I am," said Mike, his expression neutral. "My dad and I are going to win."

"Now son, don't count your chickens before they hatch," said Jack quietly.

"See? Your dad doesn't even think you can win."

"May the best man win," said Mike, trying to ignore the jab.

"Don't worry, I will."

They got their food and sat down at a picnic table.

"Is it always like that at school?" asked Holly. She was very angry at that boy, but she couldn't say anything to him without making Mike look worse.

"Not all the time," said Mike quietly.

Jack was reminded of when he was younger, and how he had been teased about his height and his lack of athletic ability. It had hurt, but it was nothing compared to what Mike went through at school every day. He had many friends, Mike had next to none. He had to win this race, he just had to.

"Well, we'll show him, won't we son?" said Jack.

"Yeah we will!" said Mike, perking back up.

Jack kept up a happy expression as the pit in his stomach grew deeper. He wanted him to win so badly, he thought of how disappointed he would be to lose. He would give it his all, he had to win for Mike.

After they finished lunch, Jack and Mike went to the starting line along with the others in the race. The race would take them through the woods, there would be brightly colored flags to guide them and keep them from getting lost.

"Good luck, Mike!" said Trent from down the line.

"You too, Trent!"

As soon as he said it, he pinched himself and scrunched up his eyes.

"Are you okay, Mike?" asked Jack.

"Manitoba wants to come out, he wants to explore. He loves forests."

"You hold him back, you can do it."

"On your mark, get set, GO!" shouted the referee.

Jack and Mike took off, as did everyone else. They ran into the woods and followed the trail and the flags. Mike didn't have to work at slowing down enough to stay with Jack, trying to keep Manitoba in line was taking up half his concentration. Jack refused to lose the race. One way or another, they were going to win.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Holly was going with the other moms to the other end of the forest to see the winners. While she was going, she was talking with three of her friends.<p>

"Well, look who it is. Holly Skinner, alive and in the flesh," said Tonya, one of her friends. "It feels like we never get to see you anymore."

"I've been meaning to come around more, I've just been busy lately."

"Well, you're here now, and that's what matters," said Carla with a smile.

"How's life been treating you all?" asked Holly.

"Robert got a promotion at work," said Carla. "It's a good thing to, Bonnie needs braces."

"Arthur and I are going to the Bahamas for our four year anniversary," said Shannon.

"Devon is seeing a new speech therapist, the best in Canada," said Tonya as she carried her four year old.

"I'm glad you're all doing so well. You know, we should have a backyard barbecue, we haven't had one in ages."

"But wait, Holly," said Tonya. "You haven't told us how you've been."

"Jack and I are fine, and Mike's doing well in school. He's in the school's next play, he's a really good actor. You should come see it, I think you would enjoy it."

"Oh, come now Holly," said Tonya. "Is that really all you have to say?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I just mean that you and Jack must be pretty worn out with Mike's little 'problem.' You must be so stressed, don't you want to talk about it?"

"It can be stressful sometimes, but I'm fine, really."

"I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like, trying to raise a child with such a disability," Tonya went on. "And I'm sure it must be so expensive, you and your husband haven't gone on any big trips for your anniversary since you took him in. You haven't gone on any retreats without Mike, period. The romance in your relationship has suffered a lot, I'll bet."

"We don't need to take big vacations, we're content to take smaller ones. And we can't leave Mike at home by himself, he needs someone with him. But we don't mind having him along, he's a joy."

"It's very noble of you, taking care of Mike and trying to give him a future even though he has no chance of ever making anything of himself."

"Excuse me?" said Holly.

"Let's be honest here, Holly. What hope does Mike have of graduating college with a condition like his? Or holding down a steady job? And let's not even talk about marriage. If he ever did get married, the poor woman might go to bed with her husband and wake up with someone else entirely. Who knows what one of his personalities might do to her. And think of the children, they'd all probably inherit it. We wouldn't want a litter of children with multiple personalities, now would we? It's an unfortunate situation, so sad.

"The fact is Holly, you and Jack aren't going to live forever, and what will become of him when you're gone? I suppose he'll have to stay in a group home, there are some nice ones to choose from. Hopefully it'll be a group home, I'd hate to see the poor boy end up in an institution."

"Now that you mention it, you know, Devon probably won't ever accomplish anything either," said Holly calmly. "With that stutter, who would want to hire him? I mean, you can barely understand him when he tries to talk. I hope he doesn't have any aspirations that involve public speaking, he'd be a laughingstock."

The others gasped, and Tonya said, "Holly! How could you say such a thing? My Devon is precious!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought we were playing a game where we pick apart the flaws in our children and degrade them behind their backs," said Holly pleasantly. "I can just see it now, Devon trying to propose to a girl and not being able to get the words out."

"Holly, you have no right saying any of this! What is wrong with you?"

"Devon's speech impediment and Mike's MPD are both things they have no control over. They're both working hard to overcome their disabilities, and none of us have any right to shame them for it," said Holly. "I believe they will both go on to do great things, in spite of their struggles. Mike is my son, maybe not by blood, but that doesn't matter to him or to me. I will not have you talking about him like he's a circus freak, you hear me? No one messes with my boy."

Carla and Shannon both looked at her in awe and respect. Tonya said, "You're right Holly. You're absolutely right. I'm sorry I said those things about Mike, that wasn't fair to him. I won't do it anymore."

Holly was so relieved that she was understanding. She hadn't meant to attack her like that, but most everyone said things like that about Mike, and after what that boy had said, it set her blood boiling. There was only so much she could take. She had lost some of her friends over the years because they didn't like or trust Mike. It was nice to have a few friends who would stick by her, even if he wasn't their favorite person in the world. Better a few good friends than a crowd of fair-weather friends.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry I said those things about Devon, I just get protective of my baby."

"You're a mama bear, Holly. Mama bears have to look out for their cubs, because who else will?" said Carla.

"Exactly."

"I always admired you for that," Carla continued. "You've got to be tough to combat a disorder like that, I don't think I could. You're a great mom."

"Thanks, Carla. Now Shannon, you have got to tell me where you got those shoes, they're so cute!"

* * *

><p>"I don't know how we managed it, but we're lost," said Jack. "We haven't passed any markers in some time."<p>

"Come on Dad, we're way behind!" said Mike.

Mike had been pinching himself the entire time to try to stay in control, but it was all in vain. Manitoba forced his way out and said, "Come on, ya sloth! Looks like it's up to me to get you blokes to the finish line in first place!"

Manitoba took off running, and unlike Mike, he wouldn't slow down for anyone. Jack struggled to keep up.

"How do you know where you're going?" asked Jack.

"I know these woods like the back of my hand! But just to make sure…"

Manitoba jumped and grabbed a tree limb. He hoisted himself up and scaled the tree faster than a squirrel. He climbed to the top of the tree and looked to see where they were. Satisfied, he began to climb down.

"Yup, there's a shortcut right after the next bend!" Manitoba called down to Jack. "All you have to do is-"

Before he could finish, Mike suddenly came back. Manitoba had been hanging off a precarious branch, and since Mike was slightly disoriented after making the switch, he lost his grip and plummeted to the ground.

"Mike! Mike, are you okay?"

Jack ran over to where Mike had fallen. He was clutching his arm, which was bending at an unnatural angle.

"Oh no, I knew this was going to happen sooner or later. Holly and I both read up on how to make splints for just such an occasion as this, I'll try to make do with whatever I can find out here."

"No Dad!" said Mike, his teeth gritted in pain. "We can't stop now! Manitoba told me about the shortcut, if we follow it right now we can still win!"

"Mike, you're in pretty bad shape."

"We have to get out of the woods before I can go to a doctor, we might as well win first! Come on!"

Mike wasn't taking no for an answer. He held his arm in the least painful position and took off running, and Jack followed him, nearly exhausted. Mike took them on the shortcut, which led off the trail. He didn't argue though, he had to trust that Manitoba did know his way through here.

Finally, miraculously, Jack could see the finish line up ahead, and the tape hadn't been broken yet.

"We're going to win, Dad!" said Mike.

"We're going to win!" he repeated after him.

But just as they were about to cross the line, another father and son crossed it first.

Across the line, Jack bent over and tried to catch his breath. He had never run this much in his life, he just wanted to lie down on the ground and not get up again for twenty years.

Holly ran over and said, "You made it!"

"I failed him Holly," he said miserably. "He was supposed to win, he deserved it more than anyone ever deserved to win anything, and I let him down. It's bad enough he has a broken arm, winning would have made it sting less. Now all he has is a broken arm and a loser for a father."

Mike ran over carrying a silver trophy with his good arm, his face beaming. "Look Dad! We did it! We came in second at our very first father-son race! Can you believe it? We're the best team ever! You're the best dad ever! We should do this every year!"

Jack couldn't believe it, Mike wasn't ashamed of him, it was the opposite, in fact. He smiled in relief as he patted him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, we'll do it again next year. You know, that trophy would look great on the mantel in the living room."

"That's what I was thinking, then everyone can see it."

"I'm so proud of my boys," said Holly as she put her arms around them, being careful not to touch Mike's broken arm. "But that's enough excitement for one day. Your arm is swelling, we need to go to the hospital and have them take care of it. I am so proud of you, both of you."

Holly led him to the car and they drove to the hospital. Despite being in pain, nothing could take the smile off Mike's face.

* * *

><p>Being chained to a boulder for years got very boring after a while.<p>

Mal was lying on his stomach, tracing circles into the ground with his finger. It felt like the boredom was literally eating him alive. He was kind of hoping it would just so he wouldn't have to put up with it anymore.

He saw one of the half-formed alters not too far away. Mal still hated seeing those things, but maybe he could use it.

"_Hey you, come here."_

He had caught its attention, that was a good sign. But whether or not it could actually understand him and follow directions was yet to be seen.

The thing came closer and stood before him. It was scary to think that he so easily could have been just like this halfling, funny to imagine it happening to Manitoba or Svetlana or the others.

"_Find something to break the chain. If you free me, I'll give you complete control of the mind. You'll be the only one who gets to use the body, you'll be the boss. Can you break the chain?"_

The thing seemed to be deep in thought. It reached down to the ground and formed a sword out of brain matter, a strong, fine one. Mal couldn't do that, not as long as he was in shackles. He could see the toll it took on the alter; while Mal could easily create things in the mind, it severely weakened half-formed alters to do it.

"_Yes, very good, you're doing great! You'll be rewarded for this, now give it to me!"_ said Mal. He couldn't believe it was actually helping him escape. Never in his wildest dreams would he have believed a halfling could be useful for something.

The half-formed alter came closer and closer, and Mal's smile grew wider and wider as he imagined the gallant sword in his hands. Oh, the fun he could have with such a beautiful weapon.

The alter set the sword down on the ground, mere inches out of his grasp. Mal's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"_What are you waiting for? Bring it closer so I can reach it."_

"_I think this is close enough."_ Its voice was very deep.

"_Don't you want to be in complete control of the mind?"_

"_I know you are a liar. You are no better than Michael's father."_

"_If you don't give me that sword I swear I will make your life a living hell,"_ he growled.

"_That is already my life."_

The halfling alter turned and walked away. Mal lunged for it but fell flat on his face.

"_Get back here, you swine!"_ he yelled. _"I have all the power here, you'll set me free if you know what's good for you!"_

"_You're the only one in chains."_

"_I'm going to get out of this, and when I do, I'm going to kill you!"_

"_I look forward to it!"_

Mal stretched and tried to reach the sword, but he couldn't touch it. The half-formed alters were smarter than he thought.


	18. Pranks

Mike was sitting on the couch watching Total Drama, one of his favorite shows. The show was currently on its third season. His parents didn't watch it, but they always seemed to walk in at the worst moments.

"Are those boys making out with fish?" Holly asked. She had just popped in to see if Mike wanted a snack, she didn't ask for this.

"It's for a challenge," he explained. Satchimo was sitting in his lap, sleeping.

"Some people will do anything for fame and fortune. I'd better never see you on a show like that."

"Don't worry, no amount of pain and humiliation is worth a million dollars to me."

"It's so nice having a son with common sense," she said as she went back to the kitchen. "You get it from my side of the family."

He had to admit though, a million dollars wouldn't suck. And despite all the backstabbing, deceit, and sabotage, people did seem to form unlikely friendships there. Trent came over to watch the show with him sometimes, and he would tell him behind the scenes stuff and funny things that had happened on set. He said that he was glad he went on the show, but that it wasn't a good idea.

He knew Leshawna too, they went to the same high school. After Total Drama made her famous, nearly everyone in school tried to be her friend to share in her fame, but she wasn't having that, she stuck with her old friends. He had been tempted to ask her about it, but everyone else did and he didn't want to annoy her.

The second the episode was over, Svetlana decided Mike had spent enough time sitting on the couch and she took over and went outside. Summertime was almost over and Mike would be going back to school soon, and that would limit the amount of practice she could get, so she had to make the most of it now.

It was a warm day with no clouds in the sky, perfect for gymnastics. She spotted a neighbor's old clothesline, and she used it as a tightrope and practiced her routine on it. Satchimo woke up and followed her outside, and he sat on the ground, watching her practice. She spent two hours on that rope, and once she was satisfied, she let Vito take over to do his workout. He patted Satchimo on the head; all of them liked the dog, except Chester.

He lifted the heaviest things he could find over his head and practiced throwing punches on the tree in the backyard. He did two hundred push-ups and sit-ups each, but for all his hard work, with a body like Mike's there was only so much you could do. He'd never be any bigger than a bean pole, but Vito's hard work did pay off.

When he went inside, Jack did a double take when he saw him. "Wow Vito, I didn't know you could put abs on a noodle."

"Check it out, I told you I had guns," said Vito as he flexed his muscles proudly.

Holly came up from behind and put a shirt over his head and pulled it down over his chest. Mike immediately came back and sat down on the couch. He was worn out after so much exercise. She brought him a glass of lemonade to help him cool off.

"While you were out there setting a good example for humanity by exercising and being healthy, I was in here setting a bad example by playing video games. I just beat the temple in the Goron mines in _Twilight Princess_, and since we're taking turns, you get to do the water temple."

Mike took the controller and said, "I always dread the water temple."

"We all do, son."

The phone rang and Holly got up to get it. It was an automated message.

"This is an announcement for parents of teenagers attending North High School. Classes will be postponed for three weeks due to school maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you, and have a wonderful day."

"That's odd," she said. As soon as she hung up the phone, it rang again.

"Hello?"

"Holly, it's Carla. Did you get the message about the school delay?"

"Yeah, what's that about?"

"My brother is the janitor at the school there and you'll never believe what he told me!"

"What did he tell you?"

"The school's been turned into a jungle!"

"What?"

"You heard me! Over summer break, someone imported plants from the jungle and let them take over the school. Some of them were taken from the zoo, they don't know where the rest came from. But they didn't stop with exotic plants, there are birds in there, too. Some are the normal kind you see around here, others you've never seen before outside of books. And there are all kinds of critters running around. They also flooded the gym and filled it with alligators and snapping turtles. There's even a lion and tiger in there! The zoo has been looking for them, but they never looked in the school, for obvious reasons. You walk in there, you'd think you were in the Amazon rainforest, it's practically its own ecosystem. You'll probably hear about it on the news tonight. My brother says it'll probably take longer than three weeks to return it to normal. They have no idea who did it, but you can be sure they're furious about it. It's going to take a lot of time and money to fix everything."

"Thanks for telling me, Carla. Hopefully they'll clean it up soon so the kids can go back to school."

"I'll let you know as soon as they find out who did it. It's the prank of the century," she said with a laugh.

"I appreciate it. Bye Carla."

Holly hung up the phone and went to her and Jack's room. She took one of Jack's fedoras and went back down the stairs.

"Mike sweetie, would you mind if I talked to Manitoba for a minute?" she asked.

Mike paused the game right as he was slaying an enemy. He looked at her incredulously; Dr. Lace sometimes had him summon his alters for therapy purposes, but never before had they asked him to. "Why?"

"Yeah Holly, the boy just got back in control and you're asking him to give it up again?"

"Just for a minute, then I'll take the hat off. I think he might be involved in a prank at school and I need to verify. Don't worry, if he is I won't tell, I just need to know."

"All right," said Mike as he took the hat from her hands and put it on his head. Normally when Manitoba was triggered, it was because Mike forgot that hats triggered him. He loved hats just like Jack, so it was easy to forget.

Manitoba instantly appeared, and he saw Satchimo and went over to pet him. "Hey, dingo!"

"Manitoba, did you turn the school into a jungle?" she asked point blank.

"Did he do what now?" asked Jack.

An arrogant smirk crossed his face. "What makes you think it was me?"

"Who else has enough dedication for a prank like that?"

"True, true. Yeah, I did it. I've been working on it for years, this summer is when it all finally came together. You can't imagine the fun I've been having, it's a paradise. I even hid the contents of the school's safe in a treasure chest somewhere in the school, I left the principal a map to follow to find it. But it wasn't just for me, mind you, it was also for Mike. He's not exactly my favorite person in the world, but seein' him get beaten and picked on all the time was gettin' on my nerves. Now, it's okay for him to get picked on sometimes, it'd do the shrimp good to toughen up a little. But what I don't like to see is the entire school always keepin' him in their blind spot. A load of crocodiles, they all are, just like the ones in the gym. So, I got to have my fun and get some revenge for the little bugger. But the question now is, are you going to turn me in, and hope they go easy on Mike since he had nothin' to do with this?"

He quirked an eyebrow as he awaited their answer. Holly smiled and said, "Good one, Manitoba. I've wanted to do something like that since day one." She held out her hand and he high-fived it. She and Jack were fed up with the way they ignored Mike instead of doing something about his tormentors. They wanted so badly to pull him out, but he wouldn't let them. Manitoba's prank was just what they'd been waiting for.

Jack patted him on the back and said, "I'm required by father law to tell you not to do that again, that it was wrong and you should be ashamed of yourself. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, good work, Manitoba."

He took the hat off his head and let Mike back in. "So, did he do it?"

"Yup. He was behind the whole thing. He turned the school into a jungle, and you're getting three more weeks of summer."

"That's not a sentence you hear often," he replied.

* * *

><p>"You ready to go, Mike?" Jack called up the stairs.<p>

"No, but I'll never be ready so I'll be down in a minute," he called back.

"Are you sure he's ready for this?" asked Holly nervously. "You could wait five or six years."

"He just turned sixteen, it's time."

"But what if one of his personalities comes out and does something? I'm so worried. And besides, Mike's too young to be sixteen, maybe we accidentally skipped a year."

"Holly, he's going to be fine. He's growing up, and this will be good for him. I'll make sure he stays safe, I promise."

She took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll try to calm down. Got any valium?"

Mike came down the stairs then, looking about as anxious as Holly. "Are you sure about this, Dad?"

"Of course I am, learning to drive is a rite of passage. Now let's go, before it gets too dark to see out there."

"Good luck, and be safe," said Holly, trying to hide her nerves.

They got in the car, with Jack driving.

"All right Mike, driving is just like playing a video game. If you can beat Grand Theft Auto, you can master a real automobile."

"Except that if I screw up, real people will get hurt," Mike replied, wringing his hands.

"Well yeah, there's that. But don't assume you're going to fail, visualize yourself on the open road. Visualize yourself in a red convertible with flames on the side, with a pretty lady in the passenger seat. The road is yours, you control the car, the car does not control you."

"I'm trying to visualize it, but I'm still a ball of nerves."

"Look Mike, I might kid around, but you really have nothing to worry about."

"But what if one of the others takes control while I'm driving? Chester can't drive a car!"

"Work on relaxing yourself and not getting frustrated. Road rage is the last thing you need. I know you have trouble with stress, but you're going to have to stay calm if you want to be on the open road. You want to get out and drive, you want independence, don't you? Besides, we're just going to drive in the parking lot of that old abandoned apartment building. I doubt there'll be any collisions. No worries today, okay?"

Mike took a deep breath to calm himself and said, "Okay, I'm ready."

Jack drove them to the parking lot and then they switched places. He turned on the radio as a distraction and stayed quiet unless he needed to give Mike directions. He acted calm to keep Mike calm, but on the inside he was worried. If Vito came out he'd start doing dangerous stunts, and if Chester came out he'd send them straight into the building.

Mike's driving was jerky and he drove extremely slowly, but after a few loops around he started to relax and his driving improved dramatically. He practiced parking and, after a few tries, he made it into the space every time.

"Wow sport, you're a natural. You should be the one tutoring me."

"None of them came out, none of them took over while I was driving," said Mike incredulously. "I can't believe it, not even when I got frustrated while trying to parallel-park did they come out."

"Maybe it's their common sense finally showing itself. Taking over while driving would put you all at risk, even if you had a personality who was a racer for Nascar."

"The sun is going down, this means I can practice night driving."

"Maybe tomorrow night, for now let's head back. Your mother will be worried sick if we stay out too late."

Jack drove them home. Mike told Holly about how well he had driven, and how he hadn't run into anything. His confidence, at least in this area, had blossomed.

He forgot that confidence on the day of his driver's exam, however. He aced the test, but now he had to go on the open road with a stranger and hope he didn't screw up and crash the car.

_Okay Mike, you can do it,_ he told himself. _If you panic then you'll definitely screw everything up. And even if you do screw up, it won't be the end of the world. Just calm down and breathe. _

He couldn't quite soothe his nerves, but he managed to scrape through the test and earn his license. He was now free to drive anywhere he wanted, he felt so liberated and empowered.

The very next week, they got him a car of his very own. It was used, but it belonged to him, and it gave him more freedom, which made him very happy.

His parents didn't like him staying out on his own too long in case something happened with his alters, but that was okay with him, he only liked solitude in small doses anyway. When he did, he would go down new roads just to see where they led. He didn't let himself worry about getting lost, he just wanted to enjoy the journey. He loved the feeling of being independent, of being able to go where he wanted when he wanted. It was one of the best feelings in the world.

* * *

><p>The school was reopened a few weeks later. They never made the connection to Manitoba about the prank, but the culprit became something of a legend in the school, they called him Tarzan. Every now and again a student would see strange beetles scurrying across the floor, and some claimed to have seen marmosets and kinkajous in the halls, though these were just rumors.<p>

There was a dance coming up, not an important one like the prom, but it would be Mike's first. He wasn't sure if he would go or not. He knew for a fact that no girl would want to go with him, and he would hate to be there alone. But then again, he was a good dancer, he could probably have a good time by himself. He had been practicing in his room, and Svetlana gave him pointers. It would certainly beat moping at home. Trent called about the dance while he was still thinking about it.

"The way I see it, you've got three options, Mike. One: Me and you go dateless and just hang out, dance, and have fun."

"Aren't you going to ask someone out?"

"I've tried going out with other girls, but I just can't make it work. They're all nice, but I'm still in love with Gwen. But she's with Duncan now, so you can see my problem. I just don't want to waste any more girls' time when I know I can't commit. Which leads me to option two: You come over to my house, we order a pizza and watch movies and do whatever we want. I could invite Geoff and DJ over, or it could just be the two of us, I'm cool either way. Or Three: You ask Lucy to the dance. As fun as options one and two would be, I'm in favor of number three."

"I've asked her out before, remember? She doesn't like me. Besides, she has a boyfriend."

"If not Lucy, then someone else. Enough building up the suspense, I'm sure there are plenty of girls who would want to date you, they're probably just waiting for you to ask. It's about time you found a girlfriend, these are our golden years, we have to take advantage of them while we have them."

"I think I'd rather poke a sleeping dragon in the eye than ask someone out, it sounds way safer. Every time I imagine the scenario of me asking someone out, I get laughed at, or worse. I don't enjoy being laughed at, as surprising as that is. I think I should just play it safe and stay single, at least for the time being. I don't mind being single, really."

"You're killing me, Mike. If you don't step out of your comfort zone soon, I'm going to set you up on a blind date."

"It wouldn't be with Katie or Sadie, would it?" Mike asked, grinning.

"They're in a committed one-sided relationship with Justin, they wouldn't dream of cheating on him. But we're going to find you someone, Mike, mark my words."

"I'm scared."

"Don't be, I have good taste in girls, just look at Gwen. So, if you don't have a date by Saturday, let me know if we're doing option one or two."

"Sure thing."

Mike hung up his cellphone and opened his locker to take out the textbook for his next class. He kept changing his mind back and forth on the subject of the dance. He would have a lot of fun with Trent, but he did want to ask someone out. Trent was the safe choice, girls were the life-threateningly dangerous choice. He could ask someone out and Trent would be his fallback, but he didn't know if he was up to feeling the embarrassment of rejection. He wasn't sure what he should do. As always, the others loudly expressed their opinions on the matter.

"_Go for it, Mike!"_ Svetlana encouraged. _"You are ze best dancer! Svetlana promises to not take over, maybe for just one dance."_

"_Ayo, I think we all know who the real best dancer is,"_ said Vito. _"Go to the dance, if you start makin' an idiot of yourself like usual, I'll take over and strut my stuff. No chick will be able to resist you then."_

"_If you don't have a lady to take with you, then there's no point to the dance, mate. There's always the possibility that you might meet someone there, but let's be honest, your chances of hooking up are close to zero, and that's bein' kind. If you can find a sheila in time, go for it. If not, you'd be better off stayin' at home."_

"_Don't you dare go to any dances, ever!"_ Chester yelled. _"Dancing is just an excuse for kids to deafen us with the racket they call music! They'll be dancing together like animals! Stay away from the dance, you'll probably get hooked on that crack LSD the kids are all taking these days! Dang hippies!"_

"Guys, you're not helping. I'll decide for myself what I'm going to do," said Mike as he closed his locker.

"Who are you talking to?"

Mike whirled around so fast he nearly broke his neck. Lucy was standing before him, looking hot as always, and she had actually spoken to him. She never spoke to him, not unless he spoke first and she was being polite.

"Um, no one," he answered lamely.

"Well, I was wondering if you have a date to the dance on Saturday."

Mike had to force himself to act natural. "Um, no. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to go."

"Well, if you do want to go, maybe we could go together."

"Yes! Yes, I would love to go to the dance with you. But, I thought you had a boyfriend."

"Fred and I aren't working out. Can you pick me up at my place at eight?"

"Yeah, sure! See you then."

Lucy smiled and walked away, and Mike leaned against his locker in shock with a happy grin on his face. Never would he have expected a girl to ask him out, least of all the hottest girl in school. Maybe his luck was finally changing.

He only had three days to prepare. When he went home that day, he tried on the suit Holly had bought for him. He hardly ever wore it and didn't really see the point of it, but she had insisted he have something nice to wear on formal occasions. Now he was glad she had insisted.

When he told Jack and Holly the news, they were excited for him, but they were also a bit worried. Why was Lucy all of a sudden interested in him? For years she had tried to pretend he didn't exist. But they weren't about to rain on his parade, so they wished him luck. Jack gave him pointers about charming women and Holly fussed over him and made him look his best, and on Saturday he drove to her house. He was so nervous and excited he could barely contain himself on the ride over. When he got to her house, he knocked on the door and waited outside. He had bought her flowers, but he hoped he got the right kind.

"Come in!" he heard her call.

He opened the door and tentatively stepped inside. The lights were off, he couldn't see a thing.

"Lucy?" he called. He fumbled for a light switch, and as soon as he turned it on he was hit in the face with an egg.

Several people from his class were there, all holding egg cartons and laughing at him. They started imitating his personalities.

"Ooh, look at me, I'm Svetlana the dancing queen!"

"Hold on mate, my croc senses are tingling!"

"Of all the personalities you could have made, you go with old man? Back in my day this, back in my day that, you're a real genius for making him."

"Do us all a favor, Mike, and just put a gun in your mouth!"

Mike tried to shield his face from the eggs. He was shocked at first, but his shock was quickly replaced by hurt and betrayal. He saw Lucy holding a camera, recording the whole thing and laughing right along with everyone else.

"Sorry Mike, but you're a freak, and you'll always be a freak!" she said loudly.

He didn't bother saying anything to her, nothing he could say would change anything. He dropped the flowers, which were soaked in egg yolk. He ran out the door, got in his car, and didn't look back.

He didn't immediately go home. He went to that abandoned apartment building where Jack had taught him to drive to work out his emotions so he wouldn't take them out on his parents. He got out of the car and tried to wipe the egg off his face, it was so gross. He hoped the suit wasn't ruined, he was covered in egg yolk from head to toe.

At first he was angry. He didn't get angry often, but now he was furious. Not at the people who did this to him, at least not entirely. He was angrier at himself for falling for such an obvious prank. Why would Lucy, the hottest, most popular girl in school, ever want to be with him? Why would any girl ever want to be with him?

He had really been looking forward to this night, hoping that it would change everything for him. Well, in a way, it had. He realized that something needed to change. If he stayed here the rest of his life, he would always be the town psycho, the person you warned your children about to keep them from misbehaving. He was tolerated here, nothing more. He had to get away from here, get a fresh start, a second chance. But with his medical expenses, they couldn't afford to move. He was stuck.

"_Wow, I have to say, I am impressed,"_ said Mal as he slow-clapped. _"Lucy went above and beyond my expectations. I should meet her sometime, she sounds like my kind of dame. But the question now Mike, is what are you going to do? Are you going to do what they said and put yourself out of your misery? Or are you going to keep trudging through your meaningless little existence, repeating the lie to yourself every day that you matter? No one will ever love you." _

"Why me?!" he yelled up at the starless sky. "Haven't I been put through enough? Am I just your punching bag? You never hold back, you hit me with everything you've got, why can't you ever cut me a break? I thought that if I tried hard enough I could be just like anyone else, be loved like anyone else, but I guess I was wrong! What do you want from me? Nothing I do is good enough, I ruin everything, and if I don't ruin it then my disorder does! What did I do to deserve this, huh? All I want is to live my life and make something of it, is that so bad? Right when I start to believe in myself, you tear me down again! Is this how it's always going to be? Because I can't take it anymore!"

He felt a single tear roll down his cheek. He shook his head and said, "What am I supposed to do?"

He blinked, and suddenly he wasn't by his car anymore. He was on the roof of the apartment building, five stories up. He didn't know who had taken control, it might have been more than one. His shoes were off, he saw them down below on the pavement. He looked at his arms; whoever had taken control had scribbled all over him with permanent marker, and he suspected they had drawn on his face, too. They had also cut both his arms. Whatever they had used to cut must not have been very sharp, because the cuts weren't deep enough to scar, they were more like scratches. He could only imagine what he must look like right now.

"Which one of you guys was it?" he sighed. He got no answer, not that he had expected one. Being up this high made him think of what that guy had said.

"_Do us all a favor, Mike, and just put a gun in your mouth!" _

At that moment, it didn't seem like such a bad idea. No one would have to deal with him anymore, no one would have to be oppressed by his very existence. If they wanted him gone so badly, it seemed rude to argue.

He took a step closer to the edge and looked down below. From this height, it would be over quickly. No one would find him until the next morning, or it might take longer than that. No more disorder, no more shame and humiliation, everyone could finally be happy. He wondered if the people involved in the prank would feel guilty, or if they would consider it a job well done. Would anyone care that he was dead? Would anyone miss him? He knew where he was going, so it didn't worry him. He'd given it his all and failed, he couldn't see any reason to keep going.

His personalities were yelling at him, trying to make him see reason, but he wasn't listening, he was tuning them out. Mal was goading him forward, full of excitement. _"Do a flip!"_

Mike took another step forward, his toes were over the edge, he was now so close that just a little nudge would send him falling. He closed his eyes, ready to jump, ready for the release.

But before he jumped, he thought of his parents. They would be devastated if he killed himself. They had done so much for him, given up so much for him, to just throw it all away like it was worth nothing would be selfish and ungrateful. He loved them so much, he didn't want to make them suffer. That was the only thing keeping him from ending it all that night. He took a step back away from the edge. He sat down and let his legs hang over the side and put his head in his hands.

He felt trapped, and he couldn't see any escape. It was like going through a long tunnel, with no end in sight. He had to do something, this couldn't continue. He had to get away from here, do something with his life, prove his worth, show the world that he was more than his diagnosis.

"My multiple personalities will not define me," he said quietly to himself. "I will leave an impact on this world, give them a reason to remember me that has nothing to go with my disorder. I'm going to make something of my life, show them that I'm not insane, somehow."

He was only slightly encouraged, he was still very hurt. He climbed down a ladder off the roof, picked up his shoes, and got back in his car and drove home. Jack and Holly expected the worst when they heard his car pull up early.

"I hope she only stood him up, that would be merciful," said Holly as they went to the door.

When he opened the door, they both gasped at the sight of him. Holly put her arms around him, not caring that she was getting egg all over herself.

"What happened Mike?" asked Jack, appalled at the sight of him.

He told them what happened, but he skipped the part in the parking lot and the kid who had told him to kill himself.

"One of my personalities came out because I got so upset, but they didn't do any harm. It's why I have marker all over myself. The video of the prank will be up on the internet by morning, I'm sure," he said quietly.

"You can be certain we'll do something about this," said Jack, his face red with anger. Never in his life had he been so angry.

"We won't let them get away with it, they will pay for this," said Holly through her teeth.

"Don't bother, punishing them won't change the way anyone thinks of me."

Mike went up the stairs and into the shower. Holly immediately picked up the phone and called the principal at his house. He kept his shirt on so he could have that time to think. He stood there letting the water hit his face, he didn't feel like doing much else.

"_Svetlana is so sorry about vat happened, Mike. Svetlana knows how good you are, even if zey don't."_

"_Even I gotta admit that's takin' it too far,"_ said Vito. _"But still, could have been worse. Suck it up, dweeb."_

"_Shoulda put a crocodile in her house,"_ Manitoba grumbled.

"_Ugh, eggs. Why'd it have to be eggs, couldn't they have used good food?"_

"Guys, could you please keep the talking to a minimum tonight? I'm really not in the mood."

They kept talking, but they did keep it down a little.

"Unbelievable!" said Holly as she slammed the phone down. "He's not going to do anything about it! It didn't happen on school grounds so it's out of his jurisdiction. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. And it's not like their parents are going to do anything about it."

"Good."

"Good? You're okay with this?"

"No, but the way I see it, it justifies the plan I have in mind. You might not like it."

"All my plans involve wringing someone's neck, so we should probably go with yours. I assume it won't be a crime."

"I wouldn't say that. You remember my friend Bob with the cement mixer? I was thinking we'd enhance the cars of the kids who did it."

"I like the way you think," said Holly with a devious grin.

* * *

><p>The next day, Mike didn't leave the house, and he was listless and quiet. Satchimo seemed to pick up on his mood and didn't try to play, he just followed him around everywhere. Mike would scoop him up and carry him, and he would nuzzle him lovingly. That made him feel a little better, but not much. He appreciated Satchimo's attempts to cheer him up, but nothing could get rid of the cloud of depression surrounding him. Holly didn't try talking to him much, she knew when to back off and give him space. All she wanted to do was hug him and take away his depression, but she couldn't, and that hurt her deeply.<p>

He got several calls that day from people at school. They left messages on the answering machine lending him their support.

"Mike, it's Liam from gym. 'Course, you're never in control in gym so you probably don't know who I am, but I just wanted to say that I saw the video and it sucks. Those jerks had no right to do that, they took it way too far, it's sick. Hope you're doing okay."

"Hi Mike, this is Leshawna. You remember back when I was having trouble with algebra and the teacher recommended that I talk to you, even though you were a grade below me? Your tips were a lifesaver." He noticed she didn't introduce herself by saying, 'I was on Total Drama, surely you've heard of me.' "I would have probably failed without your help. I never thanked you for that, did I? Well, anyway, I just wanted to say that you didn't deserve what happened, and I feel sorry for you. Some people might think that prank was funny, but most of us don't, me especially. Lucy should be ashamed of herself, someone should egg her and those other jerks, see how they like it."

"It's Martin from school. This isn't easy for me to say, but it's been needed to be said for a long time. Mike, I just wanted to apologize for giving you such a hard time over the years, and for picking on you and beating you up. I've matured a little since then and I know now that what I did before was wrong. You were having a hard enough time already and I just made it worse. I kind of admire you for not quitting, even though you had every reason in the world to quit. I wish I could go back in time and fix my mistakes from before, but I can't, so you'll have to settle for this apology. Sorry, man."

"Hey Mike, it's Tara from drama club. I know we've never really been friends, but I was disgusted by what I saw in that video. I know that me and everyone else in school have never really been on your side, but we are now. One way or another, those jerks are going to pay for what they did. I just wanted you to know that not everyone at school is heartless. We got your back."

"Oh man, Mike, I am so sorry about what happened. I feel terrible for encouraging you to ask her out, I swear I had no idea that they were planning this, if I had I would have put a stop to it. Oh God, if I had known Lucy's true colors, I would have steered you as far away from her as possible. I mean, she's not the only one at fault here, but she was the bait, she took advantage of your feelings for her. After what Heather did to me and Gwen… I hate that you had to go through a similar experience. Look, call me as soon as you can, and don't let this get you down too much, buddy."

He even got one from his Biology teacher. "Hello Mike, it's Mr. Conner. I just wanted to see if you're doing all right, I heard about the prank last night. It was awful and cruel, and it made me angry just watching it. I know we don't always get along, what with Manitoba releasing all the frogs we were going to dissect and your personalities interrupting class in general, but I never thought badly of you. I actually consider you to be one of my favorite students, you're smart and hard-working and you certainly keep things interesting. Take care, Mike."

Mike was surprised to see that there were people who cared about him. They might never have really spoken to him before or made attempts to be friends, but they stuck by him when it mattered. These messages and the others lifted his spirits a little, but he was still downhearted.

That night, Jack and Bob took the cement mixer out and filled the cars of everyone involved with the prank with cement. As the icing on the cake, they also filled the principal's car with cement. It was a very nice car, they almost felt bad about ruining it.

The next morning, the story was already on the news. People had woken up to find their cars ruined and immediately called the police. The police came to question Jack and Holly since every victim blamed Mike. Mike was still asleep when they came, and so Jack left a note on the fridge that they had gone out for groceries.

"Did you fill those cars with cement?"

"Depends. What evidence do you have?" asked Jack. Both he and Holly looked the cop in the eye and showed no weakness.

"None, except victim testimonials. None of them saw you do it, and there are no fingerprints. What I'm wondering is, why did you do it?"

"Who says we did it?" asked Holly.

"Okay, if you had done it, why?"

"Let's just say this has been a long time coming. Those people hurt my son in terrible ways, he'll remember that horrible night for the rest of his life. It would only be fair to make them pay for that. Do you have children?"

"Two."

"Wouldn't you do the same, and more, for them? That's not to say we did anything. As far as anyone knows, we are completely innocent."

The officer sighed. "I can't hold you for lack of evidence. I know you did it though. I've seen the video, and while what you did was wrong, I would have done the same thing."

They left the police station, and the second they returned home, the phone rang. Holly went to answer it.

"What did they say?" asked Jack after she hung up the phone.

"Since we're not being arrested, the school is expelling Mike."

"Good, we can finally get him away from those leeches. I know he didn't want this, but it's for the best."

Mike came down the stairs then, still in his pajamas. "Morning," he mumbled as he passed.

"Mike, can we talk to you for a minute?" asked Holly gently.

"Sure," he said in a deadpan tone.

"Sweetheart, we've decided that it's time to pull you out of school. I know you wanted to keep going, but after what happened… it's time to give up." This was the first lie they had told him in years.

"I know, I can never show my face there again anyway."

"They don't deserve you there," said Jack. "You'll be happier once you're away from them."

He just shrugged.

Holly came over and embraced him. He hugged her back, but only half-heartedly.

"We'll teach you at home from now on, okay?"

"That'll be fine."

"Well, that's all we have to say. Are you going to be okay?"

"Eventually, I guess."

"We love you, Mike," said Jack.

Mike mumbled back something in response. He left the living room and went into the kitchen to pour himself some cereal. His parents felt so sorry for him.

Mike didn't say it out loud, but leaving school now meant that all those years of trying were for nothing. He felt like a failure for finally accepting defeat, his disorder had won this round. It seemed that his disorder always won, sooner or later. With each passing day, with each loss, fighting just seemed more and more pointless.

"I'd give anything to take that burden from him," said Jack quietly. "I'd suffer a thousand personalities if he could just live his life and be happy."


	19. Second Chance

They gave Mike a few days to recover, and then on Friday they started homeschooling him. He didn't need any teaching, this stuff just seemed to come naturally to him. He was still depressed from what had happened, though he tried to lighten up a little for his parents. Sometime before dinner, the doorbell rang. Holly went to answer it and then called for Mike.

"Mike! There are some people here to see you!"

Mike came down the stairs from his room. He saw Trent, Geoff, and DJ at the door.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Trent told us what happened, dude, and we wanted to try to help," said Geoff, grinning. "We're kidnapping you."

"What do you mean?"

"We're gonna take you out and do something fun," said DJ. "Get your mind off of what happened."

"Oh, thanks, but you don't have to. I don't really feel like doing anything anyway."

"That's exactly why you need to," said Geoff. "I always say that when you don't feel like partying, that's when you need a party the most."

"It's really nice of you, but-"

"It's just for a couple hours, it beats staying in here all by yourself," said Trent.

Mike really didn't feel like it, but he gave in anyway. "All right, I'll go."

"Awesome, we're going to have a great time," said Trent.

"Have fun you guys," said Holly, hoping this would lift Mike's spirits.

He followed them outside to Geoff's car. Geoff and Trent rode in the front, and Mike and DJ sat in the back.

"So, what are we doing?" Mike asked tentatively.

"Giving you some much needed bro-time. I was thinking we'd start out with laser tag," said Geoff.

They drove to the place and went inside. It was Mike and DJ against Trent and Geoff. Mike tried to make an effort to enjoy himself, or to at least play well enough that he wouldn't lose for DJ. Normally he loved laser tag, but the all fun had been sucked out of it.

"They're killing us out there," said DJ as they hid behind a wall.

"Sorry, I'll try to do better."

"Don't worry about doing better, it's just a game," he said as he put a hand on his shoulder. "I can tell your heart's not in it, and that's fine. Don't feel like you have to put on a happy face for us, we understand."

"I just don't want to waste your time."

"We're playing laser tag, Mike, we're not suffering. Now come on, Geoff's really bad at laser tag so if we let him win, it'll go to his head and we'll never hear the end of it."

Mike got in a few more hits, and he did feel a little better, but he was still feeling very low. Trent and Geoff won, but DJ didn't care.

"Trent tells us you're a big fan of action movies," said Geoff as they were walking to the car. "So next we're taking you to the movies to see the new spy movie. Have you seen it yet?"

"No, but I've heard it's good."

"I've seen it, it was awesome," said DJ as they got in the car and started driving. "Big twist ending, but don't worry, my lips are sealed."

"Thanks guys, I really appreciate all this," said Mike sincerely. "I know I'm not being much fun, but-"

"Hey, we've all been down in the dumps," said Geoff. "We did the same thing for Trent after his breakup with Gwen, and the guys did the same for me when Bridgey and I were having problems, it's what friends do. Homies help homies."

"But we're not even friends. I mean, we are now, but before we weren't. You only know I'm alive because of Trent. You don't owe me anything."

"Like you said, we're friends now, and I'm always looking to expand my list of friends," said Geoff cheerfully. "We're cheering you up, and we get to have fun, too, so it's a win-win for all of us."

"Now no more of that," said DJ. "Just have fun with your new friends."

They drove to the movies and bought their tickets. DJ bought them a big bucket of popcorn and they went into the theater. The movie was awesome, even though Geoff had a habit of talking during important scenes and Trent and DJ had to shush him.

As they were leaving the theater, Trent asked, "So Mike, what'd you think?"

"It was great, I enjoyed it. It was better than I thought it was going to be."

"Starting to feel better?" asked DJ.

"A little."

"Well, we've made some progress. Let's go get dinner, and that'll be it for tonight."

They went to a pizza place, and when Mike tried to pay, Geoff handed his money to the cashier first. He was paying for all of them.

"Geoff, I can't let you pay for me. You've done enough."

"Don't make DJ have to restrain you, it's my treat."

They went to the buffet and then found a table.

"I just want to thank you guys again for this," said Mike with a little smile. He had only gotten one piece of pizza, and he didn't plan on eating much of it. "I didn't want to come, but I'm glad I did."

"You've just got to let Lucy go, man," said Geoff. "I know you liked her, but it's time to move on."

"I'm not depressed because of Lucy, I know I'll get over her soon. I'm not about to give her the satisfaction of ruining my life. It's the fact that this will probably be the norm for the rest of my life. I feel like I don't belong anywhere, because no one wants me around. I mean, I've got you guys and my family, but that's just a handful out of a whole town. Sometimes I wake up and think I can take on the world, but then other times, like now, I don't see any hope for myself with a disorder like this. It holds me back so much, how can I ever do anything with my condition always ruining everything for me? I don't think I'll ever be able to make anything of myself, I've hit a dead end."

"Don't say that, I know it looks bleak now, but it'll get better," said DJ.

"I've been telling myself that for years, and look where I am now."

"Well, whatever happens, you've still got us," said Geoff. "I know that doesn't mean much, but it's something."

"I just want to give up on everything and stop trying, because no matter how hard I try, I always fail."

"Mike, I got you a little something," said Trent. "I felt terrible about pushing you to ask out Lucy, and I want to try to make it up to you."

"It wasn't your fault, you didn't know. You don't need to apologize."

"Still though, I should have been able to see it, I could have stopped it from ever happening. I should have pushed you to go with someone I knew for a fact was nice. Here, take this as my apology." He reached into his pocket and took out a gold necklace with his face on it.

"Um, kind of an odd gift, don't you think?" said Mike as Trent handed it to him.

"It's to remind you of who's really in charge of that brain of yours, and maybe it'll help you find your way back. Just a thought I had."

"I don't think it'll work, but thanks Trent, it means a lot. I'll hold onto it, and who knows, maybe it'll come in handy someday," he said as he put the necklace in his pocket.

"Awesome. Well, it looks like we got to do option two after all."

They finished their pizza and then dropped Mike off back at his house. "Remember Mike, if you ever want to go to a sweet party, you've got my number," said Geoff.

"Let's do that again sometime soon," said DJ. "We'll wait until you're feeling better and then we'll whoop their butts at laser tag."

"Bye guys!" said Mike as they drove off. He went back inside, his spirit lifted but still feeling gloomy.

It was now ten o'clock, and Mike was more than ready for bed. But as he was opening the door to go inside, he blacked out.

When he woke up again, he found himself sitting on a bed, but it wasn't his bed. His shirt was off and he was in a dark room, and he could hear loud music playing through the walls.

"_Ayo, what gives? I'm not done yet, wait your turn."_

"Vito? What's going on?"

"_I'm helping you move on and put Lucy behind you. Now, there's a chick in the bathroom and she'll be back here any minute, so if you'd be so kind as to give the wheel back over that would be really swell of you."_

Mike didn't get a chance to argue, he blacked out again before he could.

When he woke up the second time, a door opened and a blonde girl in lingerie came in. She climbed on the bed and looked at him in a way no girl had ever looked at him before.

"You ready sugar?" she purred.

She stroked the side of his face and twirled a lock of his hair in her fingers. She ran her fingers over his pecs and moved in for a kiss. Absolutely mortified, Mike leapt out of the bed, but his legs were twisted in the blanket and he tripped and fell on the floor.

"What's the matter, sugar? Am I too much for you to handle?"

Mike looked up and saw panties with flowers on it hanging from the ceiling fan. It must have happened when Vito was in control. "Oh God!" He discovered to his horror that he was completely naked. He saw his clothes on the floor and put them on as fast as he could. His shirt was on backwards and inside out and he almost tripped getting his pants on, but the second he was clothed he ran out of there faster than lightning.

"I'm so sorry!" he shouted back as he ran.

"Hey, get back here!" the girl yelled at him. "You bring me up here promising me a good time and then you run away? What the hell's wrong with you?"

Mike ran down a flight of stairs and found that he was in someone's house, and they were throwing a wild party. Deafening music filled the air and Mike maneuvered as much as he could to avoid grinding bodies. He ended up jumping out an open window and into a bush to escape. Once he was outside, he started noticing that his vision was blurry and he was feeling light-headed.

"Am I drunk?" he asked himself.

His shock and humiliation in there had temporarily sobered him up, but now he was feeling the effects of alcohol in his system. He had no idea how much Vito had had to drink. When he tried to stand, he wobbled and fell back down.

"How many times have you slept with a girl you just met?"

"_Let's just say it's been a while since you've been pure, my friend. But it's not just me, Manitoba has gotten with some girls, too."_

"_You'd better believe it. But I haven't been with as many as trout-lips over here. Unlike him, I got standards."_

"_What did you say?! You wanna go, bro? We'll go right now."_

"_Manitoba, Svetlana is okay vith you flirting vith other girls, but if you take it too far I vill hurt you."_

"_Of course not, Sugar Glider. Like I said, I got standards."_

"Vito, why did you do this?" asked Mike. His first thought was that while he couldn't get any girls to like him because of his alters, his alters could get as many girls as they wanted. His second thought was how embarrassing it was that they had been with so many girls, they'd see him and expect him to remember it, what would he do if he ever met any of them?

"_Ayo, it wasn't just for me you know. I got us a couple girls, one for me and one for you. You should really be grateful, I got you your one chance with a babe, but you blew it. I even gave you the hotter one to be a good sport, and you squandered my sacrifice. This would have been a win-win deal if you weren't such a wienie."_

"I don't want to have sex with a stranger, if I ever do it I want it to be with someone I love."

"_Gross. And I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you, the world is full of Lucys."_

"I'm going home now." He started staggering towards home, but then Vito seized control again and ripped off his shirt.

"Those guys have a motorcycle!" He handled the alcohol better than Mike, and he ran over to the guys with the motorcycle.

They were all as drunk or more so than Vito, and so they were perfectly happy to let a total stranger borrow their motorcycle. He did donuts and wheelies, and then they started setting up ramps for him to go over. Each time they raised the ramps higher and higher. He was about to attempt going over someone's car when the police arrived. He ditched the motorcycle and ran straight home.

"Mike, where have you been?" asked Holly when she heard the door open. She was in her bathrobe, she had stayed up all night waiting for him. "It's three in the morning!"

She went to see him and saw it was Vito. She could smell booze on him, and he was hanging on to the door for support. "Jack, get down here!" she yelled.

Jack was upstairs, praying by the bed. He had been for hours.

"Lord, you heal the sick and free people from their demons. Won't you free my son from his demons? He's a good boy, he doesn't deserve all this. You could just snap your fingers and his personalities would be gone. He wouldn't have to deal with the drugs or the psychiatrists or the bullying ever again. Why won't you free him and, you know, fix him?"

He heard Holly call him and he went down the stairs to find Vito sprawled on the couch giggling like an idiot.

"Is he drunk?"

"He's completely wasted."

"Ayo, you two need to loosen up, get drunk yourselves if that's what it takes," he slurred. "I had a great time, thanks for asking. Banged a girl, not sure of her name, it was either Brennifer or Jittney. And then I did the coolest stunts on a motorcycle, I am the biker king. You should have seen me. You probably can, I think one of the guys had a camera. Course, even if he did, he was so drunk I'll bet he only recorded the bushes." He broke out in more giggles.

Jack picked up Vito and tossed him over his shoulder. Vito tried to protest, but his fists didn't connect with anything. Jack deposited him on the bed and shut the door. He heard a thud, and opened the door to see that Vito had gotten out of bed only to pass out on the floor. He picked him up and put him back in bed. He found himself hoping Vito would stay in control tomorrow as well, if only so that Mike wouldn't have to deal with the hangover.

Holly went to their room, and he followed her. She sat down on the bed, and he sat down beside her.

"Jack, his alters are getting more and more out of control every day," said Holly as she rubbed her temples. "I mean, he's better at containing them, but when he can't there's no telling what they'll do."

"I know. They couldn't do as much when he was younger, but now that he's growing up there's more they can do. I hate to admit it, but sometimes I wonder if we made a mistake. There are days when I wish I could just run away from it all and never look back. Do you ever feel that way?"

"I feel bad for saying it, but yeah, I do sometimes. What if we had chosen differently? We could have had our dream house, we wouldn't have to worry every second if our child is doing something dangerous, or about be killed by an alternate personality. We could have adopted as many kids as we wanted."

"It's always so stressful, I'm always worried that if I relax even a little something will go wrong."

"I've lost friends over this, and you lost the job you loved, we've had to give up so much. I want to believe he can make something of his life, I want to believe he can hold down a job and get married and have kids of his own and do all the things other people do, but there are nights when I lie awake worrying that he won't be able to because of his condition. He tries so hard, but I'm afraid it won't be enough. People say he'll probably end up in a mental institution, and I fight them on it, but I worry that they're right. He's so smart and talented, but if his personalities become too strong for him that won't matter. If he ever had to be locked up indefinitely in an asylum, or if one of those half-formed alters were to kill him one day, I don't know what I would do."

"Do you think we bit off more than we could chew?"

"Of course we did, we're idiots! What were we thinking?"

"I guess we were thinking that maybe we could cure him. Maybe not consciously, but there's no doubt we wanted to help him get better."

"I just don't know how much more I can take of this. Most of the time I think I could do it forever, but then reality hits me in the face like it did tonight. Vito might have gotten that girl pregnant, he could have gotten Mike arrested, or he could have gotten him killed! We can't stop Vito or control him, it's a miracle you got him to stop smoking. We can't control any of them, and I'm so scared one of them will get him killed someday."

"Sometimes I just wish we had our old lives back. Back when it was just you and me and nothing exciting ever happened."

"Do you even remember what normal feels like?" asked Holly.

"My normal compass is skewed beyond repair."

"If only we could have had kids of our own, we wouldn't have all these problems. Do you remember when we were first married, how we decided to wait a year before we started having kids? We thought we'd have a boatload and so we took that year for ourselves, but then the babies never came."

"I know, and I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? I'm the one that's barren as the Gobi desert, you could have had all the kids you wanted with anyone else. I had to watch all my friends get pregnant, waiting to get pregnant myself, only to find out that I can't and that I would never get to know the joy they felt with their babies. Rachel and Dale have four and number five is on the way, and they're all accidents. They never wanted kids, but they got them anyway. Why does Rachel get so many and I get none? I know you always wanted kids of your own, and I couldn't give them to you."

Holly started to cry, and Jack said, "Come here, you."

He put his arms around her and said, "I never held that against you, Holly. If I had to choose between you and Rachel and all her kids, I'd choose you any day of the week. And at least this way I can't pass on my shortness to the next generation."

Holly laughed and said, "I think my tall genes would have canceled out your vertically-challenged ones. But I guess we did end up with a big family, really. We're always having to keep an eye on his alternate personalities and keep them out of trouble, so in a way, they're our kids, too."

Jack laughed, and she laughed with him. "And we can't ever complain about things being boring. There is no such thing as boring in this house."

"I do wonder what it's like, having a normal family. Sometimes I wish ours was, but at this point, I wouldn't even know what to do with a normal kid," said Jack. "You know, you're the most beautiful woman in the world. I've always thought that, and I still do."

"I'll always love you Jack, even when we're old and gray, which won't be much longer with Mike around. That boy is more trouble than he's worth," she said as she kissed him.

"I didn't mean what I said about Mike, I wouldn't trade him for the world, with or without his disorder," said Holly after a while.

"I know, I didn't mean it either. But I can't help thinking that way sometimes, especially on nights like this. I wouldn't want to live in a world where he's not my son, and I'll never regret taking him in."

"I still wish we could have had children of our own, but if we had, we wouldn't have adopted Mike. My prayers were answered in such a strange way, but I love him so much. I think that if I had the option, having babies or having Mike, I'd still choose him. Maybe I'm crazy, but it's the truth. Maybe it wasn't the smartest decision, but it was the best one of my life," said Holly.

"Better than me?" he teased.

"It's a tie."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Mike was leaning over the toilet, puking his guts up. He had a pounding headache and the room was spinning. The hangover would have made him sick enough on its own, but combined with his meds it just made everything worse.<p>

He didn't want to spend all day in bed, so he went downstairs and sat on the couch. Satchimo barked and leapt up and settled in his lap. Mike absently wondered if he noticed when he switched personalities, or if they all looked the same to him. Holly had once told him that Satchimo seemed slightly more hesitant around the others, like he could somehow sense they weren't his master. He didn't have a problem with them, he just liked Mike best. He took comfort in knowing that at least his dog didn't judge him for his personalities.

He turned the TV on and saw a commercial for Total Drama.

"Hey future campers!" said Chris McLean. "Want a chance at a million dollars? Of course you do, it's major moolah! Who wouldn't want to compete for a chance to be rich and famous? Losers, that's who. Are you a loser? Prove you're a winner on Total Drama! Send in your video audition to the address at the bottom of the screen and that's all it takes. Show me why you deserve a spot on my show, I'll take the most drama-filled auditions, and trust me, I want to be drowning in the drama. So just to recap, you want money and you want fame. I can ensure you you'll get at least one of those on my show. Later campers!"

"Who would be dumb enough to sign up for Total Drama?" Mike asked himself. But then it occurred to him that this might be the second chance he was looking for. He could go on the show, where no one would know about his disorder. He could keep it hidden and play the game and get his name out there, and show everyone what he could do. It's not like he was doing anything else over the summer, it might be fun. He could make friends, and maybe even win the money.

His parents and doctor would never approve. He decided he would talk to his doctor about it first, but his parents could not know, not until he signed a contract and they couldn't stop it.

He wanted to get started on his audition right then, but being hungover wouldn't make a very good impression. He would have to wait.

* * *

><p>"Dr. Lace, have you ever seen Total Drama?"<p>

This question was random, but she wasn't perturbed by it. They were in the middle of one of his therapy sessions, and right before they had been talking about the incident at Lucy's house. Bringing up the show was partly an excuse to stop talking about it.

He didn't have too many sessions left with her because she was a child psychiatrist, and once he turned eighteen she couldn't treat him anymore. He dreaded having to look for a new psychiatrist, Dr. Lace had been with him since the beginning, he didn't see how any other doctor could ever replace her. His parents were already looking into a future doctor, while he tried to make the most of the short time he had left with her.

"I've seen commercials, but I've never watched it. I hear it's brutal."

"What if I were to audition for it?"

Dr. Lace dropped the pen she was writing notes with. She picked it up and calmly said, "Why would you want to do that?"

"To show everyone that I can do anything anyone else can do. And there's the possibility that I could make some friends there."

"Mike, I would advise against anyone going on that show. They deliberately endanger people's lives and humiliate them for ratings. Now, you've made a lot of progress, don't think I don't know that. You've come a long way in managing your personalities, especially the half-formed ones. Your half-alters don't come out nearly as much as they used to, you're doing very well in keeping them contained. You've improved a tremendous amount since we started, but with a disorder like yours, just think how people could exploit it. Not to mention, but you wouldn't have any access to me, and we must continue these sessions. I'm sorry Mike, but the whole thing would be a bad idea."

"I know, I know, I wasn't being serious. I was just thinking out loud, I'm not going to sign up."

"Good, you'll be glad you didn't once the new season starts. Try to find something less dangerous to do, and I'm all for it."

Mike had expected her to utterly reject the idea, but he had been hoping she would show support him so he could talk to her about it. Now he would have to keep it top secret.

He was tired of hearing people tell him what he couldn't do, he would show them what he could do.

* * *

><p>Mike's first audition attempt went horribly. He choked and screwed the whole thing up. He was about to redo it, but then he stopped. Chris said he wanted to drown in drama, and this tape was packed with potential drama. He had mentioned his psychiatrist, but he wouldn't know why he needed one. That only upped the drama more. A disorder of any kind would only make things juicier for him, he would really bring in the ratings. The more normal an audition was, the more likely Chris would ignore it or fall asleep watching it.<p>

He mailed in the first take, crossing his fingers that Chris would take it. He spent the rest of the day riding his bike around the house to relax, letting his thoughts carry him.

* * *

><p>Five weeks later, he received a letter in the mail.<p>

"Mike, you got a letter!" said Holly. "And a manila envelope."

He ran into the kitchen and took the letter and the envelope. He didn't open them until he was safe in his room. He held his breath as he read the words.

_Dear Mike,_

_Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you that we have accepted your audition and chosen you to compete._

He was so shocked he dropped the letter. He quickly picked it back up and read the rest.

_Included is a contract. Read through it with your parents or a lawyer and then sign to finalize the deal. Once signed, this contract cannot be terminated unless both parties are in agreement. After you sign it, mail it back in the return envelope provided and you will have secured your place in the next season. If you do not respond within two weeks, we will assume you have changed your mind and you have forfeited your chance to win. On June 1__st __of next year, go to the below address where you will be taken to Camp Wawanakwa. We hope to see you there!_

Mike read the letter five more times before he even thought about the contract. He took out the contract and found that it was several pages long, and most of it was legal jargon in tiny print. He skimmed the pages, not really paying attention. In hindsight, he probably should have read it more closely. He didn't care what it said, he signed it and put it in the return envelope. He silently jumped for joy.

The next morning, he put it in the mailbox and went back inside. He whistled as he entered the kitchen for breakfast.

"You sure are cheerful this morning," said Jack as he read the newspaper.

"I am feeling more upbeat today."

"I'm glad," he said with a smile. "So, what are you mailing?"

"College applications," he had practiced the lie in front of the mirror to be sure his face gave nothing away.

"Already?"

"It's never too early to start."

He felt bad about lying to his parents, but they would never let him go if they knew the truth. They'd never let him leave the house again if they found out.

"Still going into acting?"

At least this part he could be truthful about. "You bet I am. I might be able to get a scholarship."

"Someday you're going to be the lead in a movie, girls will be screaming for your autograph and you'll get your name in the hall of fame."

"I don't know about that, but it would be cool."

Mike spent the next several months waiting in quiet anticipation and excitement for June 1st. Jack and Holly didn't know how he had so suddenly overcome his depression, but they weren't complaining.

A month before the show was to begin, he called Leshawna for some advice.

"Hello?" she said when she picked up.

"Hi Leshawna, it's Mike from school."

"Hey Mike, long time no see. You've never called me before, what's the occasion?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you something…"

"Shoot."

"Um, I was wondering if you could give me some advice for Total Drama."

There was a long silence, he almost wondered if she had hung up. She finally said, "Why would you need advice for that?"

"I might have been accepted to compete," he said sheepishly.

"And have you seen the first three seasons?" she asked calmly. "I think watching just one episode would be enough."

"Yeah, I've watched all three."

"Well then. Are you serious? Mike, are you insane?" she yelled.

"Well…"

"That was tactless, I didn't mean it that way. But really, what are you thinking? You must be crazy if you're even thinking about going on that show. And no, I don't think this just because of your condition, in case you were wondering. My little brother wanted to audition, but I set him straight. Take it from someone who survived it, it's not a good idea. The money isn't worth it, and you're not guaranteed to win."

"I don't care about the money."

"Then why on earth are you going?"

"Because it's my ticket out of this place."

"You can't go on a show like that, with your disorder they'll eat you alive! You think having your disorder be treated like a joke at school is bad, try having it be a joke to the entire planet."

"It's nice to see you have such confidence in me."

"I'm just tryin' to look after your sorry behind, since you are clearly not doing it yourself. Does your mama know about this?"

"No, and don't tell her. She doesn't need to know."

"Mike, it's a bad idea, you'd better not go through with it."

"It's too late, I already signed the contract, so it's too late to drop out. If you want to help, you can give me advice."

"My advice? You want my advice? My advice is to stop taking stupid pills."

"Look Leshawna, maybe this idea is stupid, maybe I'm stupid, but I don't have many options here. I'm the town psycho, that's all I've ever been since I came here six years ago, and I can't take it anymore. I'm so sick of being the crazy guy."

"You're not crazy, and would you rather be like those jerks who pranked you? Screw them! Quit tryin' to fit the mold, Mike! The mold itself is a myth, you're better off doing your own thing, but that does not include joining the Total Drama cast as one of Chris' ratings monkeys! That show won't help anything."

"When people look at me, they either look at me with disdain or pity. I don't want people to avoid me and I don't want people's pity, I just want to be treated like a person, like everyone else. I know it wasn't the best move, but I don't know what else to do. I have to get out of here, do something with my life, prove myself. I already doubt myself enough for both of us, do you think you could at least pretend to believe I have a chance?"

She sighed heavily. "I'd kick your butt if you had a butt to kick. Okay Mike, maybe you do have a chance. I'll help you, us foster kids gotta stick together, I guess."

"You were adopted? I didn't know that."

"There's plenty you don't know about me. Now let's make this quick, Harold's coming over soon. First of all, the producers are gonna portray you in the way that boosts the ratings the most, even if it's an inaccurate portrayal. There's hours of film that they have to edit and squeeze into twenty minutes, so most of what happens gets cut out. Katie and Sadie aren't as ditzy in real life, Eva's not quite as aggressive, and if anything, Justin is even more in love with himself. That's part of why I think this is a bad idea, they might show you in a really bad light. They could only show footage of when Vito's out and everyone in the world would think you're a dim-witted Jersey tough guy who picks fights with everyone and flirts with every hot girl he sees, they would have no way of knowing that's not the real you."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that."

"I don't see that happening, but you get my point. As you probably already know, kissing up works great on Chris, don't be afraid to use that if you need to. Don't eat too much of Chef's cooking, wouldn't be surprised if someone's died after eatin' that stuff. Try to make alliances with strong or smart players to protect yourself. You're smart and you've got some muscle, that'll make you a little valuable to the others. Don't show off too much though, if you come off as too big a threat they might eliminate you to protect themselves. I don't have to tell you this, but don't let the game get to your head, don't be a jerk. And try to stay alive in the challenges, don't get yourself killed. If I were you, I'd tell everyone when you get there about your MPD, that way they'll understand when you switch and won't hold it against you."

"That's what my fourth grade teacher did, and it ruined any chance of me making friends. You saw how it was in high school, no one would give me the time of day because of it, and it led to me being publicly humiliated. I have to keep it secret, at least long enough to make some friends and prove to everyone that it won't dominate my life and that I can do anything anyone else can do."

"Just don't wait too long, the sooner you cross that bridge the better. I guess the only other advice I can give you is keep your shirt on and keep hats off. Keep 'em hidden as long as you can, and try to win. Oh, and don't let anyone use your personalities to take advantage of you, don't give 'em that kind of power. That's all I have to say."

"Thanks Leshawna, I really appreciate it."

"I'll be rooting for you, so you'd better not let me down out there. Show everyone what you're made of, prove to the world that Mike Skinner can do whatever the hell he wants, screw MPD. I'm not pretending here, I really think you can do it."

"And if you're right and it turns out to be a disaster, just have a paper bag waiting for me to cover my face with when I get home."

"You got it. See ya, Mike."

She hung up, and left Mike feeling more excited and more anxious about the competition.

The next day, Trent called. Their conversations usually were about music, the latest movies, and girls. But they always inevitably ended up on the topic of Gwen. Of all Trent's friends Mike was the best listener, so he felt comfortable talking about her with him. He respected her relationship with Duncan and he was content just being her friend, but he was still in love with her and he missed her. Mike didn't mind listening to him talk about her, he was just happy to be there for him.

Right before he was about to start talking about her, Mike interrupted and said, "Hey Trent, what would you say if I told you I was going on Total Drama?"

"Mike, that's awesome! You're going to do great, are your parents excited? My dad wasn't too happy, but my mom was. That is, before we knew what it was really like."

"Actually, they don't know about it, and neither does my psychiatrist."

"Are you sure you shouldn't talk to them about it first?"

"They'd try to stop me, it'll just be easier if I don't."

"Wow Mike, I didn't know you were such a rebel."

"So, you really think I have a chance?"

"Yeah, I do. I mean, I would feel better about it if you would at least talk to your doctor first, but I can see that I'm not going to be able to talk you into it. I think it's great that you're going out and doing things, this is a big step up for you. Are you going to tell them about your disorder?"

"No, then it would just be repeating high school."

"I want to say that you should tell everyone, but that would make me a hypocrite because I didn't tell anyone about mine. I've owned up to it now and everyone knows, but I kept it secret way too long."

"I might tell them at some point, if I think they can handle it. Otherwise, I'm keeping it secret."

"You know, your personalities will actually probably be a good thing on the island. They aren't around here, but out there in the middle of a challenge, they could give you the edge."

"Yeah, I guess."

"But I'm sure you'll do great on your own, too."

"Thanks, Trent. I'm glad at least one person doesn't expect me to fail miserably out there."

Mike only told one other person that he was going on the show, the only adult he could trust with something like this.

"Hey Nana." He was sitting in his room, watching Satchimo chase his tail.

"Mike! I'm so glad you called. I just got back from jetskiing and I'm bored again, this call is exactly what the doctor ordered. By the way, they just put in a water slide at the beach, you can try it out when you come visit me next summer."

"Actually Nana, I'm not going to be able to make it to your house next summer. See, I signed up for a reality game show called Total Drama-"

"Really? I love that show! And you're competing? Mike, I've been waiting so long for you to find your adventurous side! I knew Manitoba didn't have it all, I knew you had it in you, I'm so excited!"

"You're excited?" he said incredulously. "You're not going to scold me or tell me to tell my parents or try to stop me?"

"Mike, I married twice, eloped both times. By the way, don't elope, if you ever get married you're going to have a proper wedding. My first husband and I spent years of our marriage on the rode on our motorcycles, until he got into a fight with a bull and lost. You've seen me, I can't live if I'm not doing something potentially dangerous. Life's not worth living if it doesn't have a little risk, so of course I want you to be the same! This isn't the way I expected it to come out, but I like it. You're going to have so much fun, and you're going to win first place. I'd go with you if it weren't for that idiotic age limit set on it. You'll just have to play for me."

Mike had expected her to be okay with him going, but not this okay. He grinned broadly as he said, "I will Nana. Just don't tell anyone I'm doing it until after the show starts."

"You got it. I'm so proud of you, Mikey."

When the day finally came, Mike quietly packed a suitcase the night before. He made sure to bring enough medication to get him through the next several weeks, and he also made sure to pack plenty of shirts. He saw Trent's gift on the bedside table and he packed it, as well. Who knows, it might bring him luck, or something.

Jack and Holly were both at work, so sneaking out was no problem. Being left home alone at all felt like a privilege, only a few months ago had they started to feel comfortable enough to leave him at home by himself and go on drives alone. It was only because he had improved in keeping his alters contained and controlled. They were still a nuisance and caused problems, but now they usually only came out when triggered. Usually.

He carried his suitcase to the door and when he opened it, there was Satchimo waiting for him with a stick to play fetch, his tail wagging eagerly. He followed him all the way to the car, and when Mike opened the door, he hopped in to go for a ride.

"Sorry buddy, but I can't take you with me on this trip," said Mike as he took him out and set him on the ground. He scratched behind his ears and said, "This place is going to change my life, I can feel it. You cheer me on, okay? And take good care of Mom and Dad."

Mike hugged his dog and he licked his face. He laughed and patted him on the head and then got in the car and drove off. Satchimo went back to the porch and hopped up in the hammock to take a nap.

During the past months of waiting, Mike had been telling himself that his parents would be fine and there was nothing to worry about. But once he cranked the car, he was hit by a powerful wave of guilt. He was about to leave them for weeks without saying goodbye. What if he was horribly injured down there? He could actually die and never see them again. What kind of son was he for doing something like this? But it had to be done. Something had to change, and this was the only way he could do it. He was taking his life back, and nothing would stand in his way.

"_Hell yeah, Total Drama!"_ said Vito. _"That show's got some smokin' hot babes, and I can show off my sculpted abs. I worked hard on 'em all these years, they deserve to be shown on TV!"_

"_Svetlana can perform her gymnastics for ze whole world!"_

"_I'll explore every inch of that island and see all it has to offer. I've been itchin' to take on Sasquatchanakwa."_

"_Dang reality TV, dang game shows, dang teenagers. The island's gonna be too hot, the kids will be too loud, the animals will get too close, it's gonna set my arthritis off somethin' awful!"_

"Do you guys think I'm doing the right thing? For me, I know you're going to enjoy it."

"_You should have told your parents, zey vill not be happy about zis."_

"_You need adventure in your life, this is the best decision you've ever made, bandicoot."_

"I really hope I'm not making a mistake."

"_Too late to back out now, loser."_

"Yeah, I'll just have to make the most of it and give it my all. Do you guys think I can win?"

Vito laughed and said_, "Well sure! You know, if every other contestant ends up in the hospital in a coma."_ Svetlana smacked him. _"Ow!"_

"_Of course you can, but ve vill be zere to help!"_

"_I'm gonna win and use the money to go on a real expedition, and buy myself sharp new fedora."_

He didn't say it out loud, but he really hoped he could win by himself, without any help from his personalities.

He drove two hours to the address on the letter. It was a little office by a dock. Inside, he passed several people, and he wasn't sure which were contestants and which were interns.

He was directed to a room where a woman interviewed him. He was so nervous it brought his personalities out, and though he had no memory of what had transpired when he wasn't in control, the weird looks told him it wasn't good. Still, he refused to let that get him down.

He filled out some forms, one of which was a medical form. He decided to "accidentally" leave off his disorder.

After all the papers were filled out, he was ushered onto a boat. On his way on board, a girl with short blonde hair in gym sweats shoved him.

"Out of the way, string bean!"

She shoved him into another girl, a girl with red pigtails. His cheeks blushed scarlet in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, excuse me," he said.

"No problem," she said with a smile.

He couldn't help but notice how pretty she was.

* * *

><p>"Mike, I hope you're hungry because I brought Chinese food!" Holly announced when she got home.<p>

Jack was lying on the floor doing sit-ups. His doctor had prescribed more exercise, and though he loathed it, he kept up with the regimen. He had the news on the TV, and the top story was about how notorious jewel thief Violet Rainey was still on the run from police.

"Where's Mike?" she asked.

He finished his workout and stood up. Panting, he said, "I think he went out for a drive. I'm going to take a shower and then reward myself with a donut."

"That's weird."

"I know donuts aren't part of the health plan-"

"No, I mean, Satchimo's here, he's outside sleeping on the hammock. Mike always takes Satchimo with him when he goes out."

"Maybe he was going to a store, somewhere where dogs aren't allowed. He's probably out with Trent."

"But he always tells us when he has plans so we know one of his alters didn't take off with him."

"He probably just forgot."

"Yeah, I know, I'm overreacting."

"Don't be a smother mother," he said as he went up the stairs.

"You be quiet." Holly went into the kitchen and noticed a note lying on the table. She quickly read it and then screamed.

"What is it? What's wrong?" said Jack as he ran back to the kitchen.

"I was right! Read this!" she said as she thrust the note out to him.

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_I'm sorry you have to find out this way, but I'm going on Total Drama. I auditioned for it last fall and I was chosen to compete. I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't let me go. Don't even try to fight it, once the contract has been signed it can't be undone. I'll probably be on the island by the time you read this, anyway._

_I can't just sit at home anymore, hoping things will get better. Things won't ever get better unless I do something about it. Please try to understand, I just don't have any better alternatives. I'm not doing it for the money, I'm doing it to show people that I'm more than my disorder and that I can do the same things as anyone else. Really though, I'm trying to prove it to myself, because most of the time I can't make myself believe it. _

_Thank you for always believing in me, and for everything you've done for me. I'll come back home as soon as I can, but for now it's goodbye. I love you both so much, and I'm going to miss you while I'm gone. Thank you for always being there for me, and for letting me be your son._

_-Mike._

"I can't believe this!" Jack nearly shouted. "How could he just up and leave without warning us? It's so unlike him, what is he thinking?"

"Maybe it wasn't him, maybe it was one of his personalities. Manitoba would do something like this!"

"It's in his handwriting," said Jack. "Mike chose this of his own free will."

"I'm going to kill him. I swear, when he gets home, he's a dead man."

"We'll kill him, if Chris McLean doesn't kill him first."


	20. The Island

_**Author's Note: **__I won't be writing the entirety of TDROTI or TDAS. As a general rule, if you saw it in the show, you won't see it here. There are exceptions, but mostly you'll be seeing things that weren't shown on camera._

* * *

><p>As Mike lay in bed on his first night on the island, he thought about how the first day had gone. He knew to expect brutal challenges from watching the past seasons of the show, and he had braced himself for it. But no amount of preparation could prepare him for the real deal.<p>

Still though, the pain was worth it. If he had never come here, he never would have met Zoey. He hadn't come here looking for a girlfriend, the thought had never once crossed his mind. He couldn't believe it when she spoke to him on the boat, she actually seemed to like him, and it boggled his mind. No girl had ever shown genuine interest in him before, he'd all but given up on dating entirely.

They had only known each other for a day, but he felt a connection to her already. He knew there was no such thing as love at first sight, but that didn't stop his heart from beating faster when he thought about her, or how he had gotten butterflies in his stomach every time she spoke to him that day. He wanted to spend his time here getting to know her better. She was so nice and cute, and she had spoken to him, more than once. He hoped he wouldn't end up scaring her off. She had handled Chester pretty well, overall.

"_It's great to see you already looking into other girls after the Lucy incident, you must be so trusting. Or masochistic, I think the two are synonymous,"_ said Mal. _"She might like you now, but she won't once she learns your secret. How long do you think it'll be before she finds out what you really are? And what do you think she'll do when she finds out? I hope she's as creative or more so than Lucy, because if you're going to reject someone on international TV, you might as well make it really dramatic and painful. You're better suited to being alone anyway, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you can stop setting yourself up for heartbreak. I know it seems hard now, but you'll be happier that way."_

For one moment he thought of Lucy, and he worried Zoey might be the same way. But he forced the thought out of his head. He would not compare Zoey to Lucy, not in any way. Zoey was a completely different person and he wouldn't compare her to anyone. As far as he was concerned, Lucy had never had a part in his life at all.

He still had to keep his disorder a secret, though. Zoey could not find out, at least not until he was sure she could handle it and wouldn't get freaked out by it. Maybe that time would never come, and he would have to keep it secret forever. That probably wasn't an option, but he had to do everything in his power to keep her, and everyone else, from finding out for as long as possible. If he played his cards right, she might want to stay in touch with him after the show was over. If he screwed up, he'd never see her again.

He wondered if she would ever date a guy like him. The thought made him smile. But even if she would never want to date him, maybe she would still agree to be his friend. He could live with that.

* * *

><p>Jack and Holly spent the entire first episode cringing. These episodes weren't happening live, they had happened days earlier, which meant that if Mike were to get hurt in some way, they wouldn't know about it until the next episode aired. They had never watched the show before, but now they had no choice, they had to make sure Mike was okay.<p>

"You know, I watched the one and only episode of Chris' cooking show a few years ago," said Jack. "It was the most awful cooking show I've ever seen."

"How can you even think about that at a time like this?!" Holly was holding Satchimo tightly in her lap to comfort herself, but it wasn't working, she was frantic. "Our son is at the mercy of a sadist on a deadly island. What is wrong with him? How could he do this? There must be something we can do, we have to get him off that show!" she said as they watched the boat they were on explode.

"As much as I hate to say it, he's a man now, and we have to respect his decisions."

"How are you so calm about this? Someone is sure to find out about his MPD and take advantage of it, and then he'll just be a big joke to the whole world. Or worse, get himself killed or maimed beyond recognition! Why aren't you freaking out?"

"I am freaking out, on the inside. If I let any of it show on the outside I'll explode. I'm trying to hold off the explosion as long as possible."

Satchimo wrangled himself out of her stranglehold and went over to the TV. Every time Mike was shown, he would whimper and put a paw on the screen, trying to get to him.

They watched the rest of the episode and as the credits rolled, Jack said, "Well, he survived day one."

"I'm going to kill him," said Holly for the hundredth time. She took out her laptop and got back to work on a paper she was writing for an online college class. She was working to become a counselor for families with children with mental disorders, since she already had so much experience. She would still cut hair and do nails on the side. Normally, doing the homework assignments was tedious and boring, but now they served as a distraction so she didn't have to worry so much about Mike. She was already weeks ahead of everyone else because she couldn't seem to stop herself. For once, homework relaxed her.

As she typed away on her computer, she said, "You know, that girl on the show seemed nice, what was her name?"

"Zoey, I think. She's nice and cute, maybe Mike has a shot with her."

"No, he doesn't," she sighed. "She'll end up being another Lucy, you just wait and see."

"Not every girl in the world is like that. Give her a chance."

"I hope he doesn't get his hopes up. It's bad enough he'll probably end up breaking his neck, he doesn't need his heart broken, too."

* * *

><p>There were several hours of footage recorded, but there was only enough time for twenty minutes worth, so they only included the juiciest moments. This meant that a lot went on that the audience never saw.<p>

On his second day on the island, Mike was in his cabin. He had waited for everyone to leave, and then he went to his suitcase and took out his pills. As he was about to take the first one, the door opened and in came Brick and Sam. It was too late to try to hide the bottles.

"Nothing like a morning jog to wake you up!" said Brick. "Hey, this isn't your cabin."

"Oh, sorry. I got so wrapped up in my game that I went to the wrong cabin." He looked up from his Game Guy and noticed Mike's pill bottles. "What's that you're taking?"

"Um…" These pills were just for anxiety and depression, they wouldn't give him away, but it was still embarrassing. "I was sick a few days ago, and even though I'm better I have to keep taking them to make sure it doesn't come back."

"Hold on, my mom takes those, they're for depression," said Brick. "And that other one is for anxiety. Why'd you lie, soldier?"

"It's not exactly something I'm proud of."

"Those pills are soldiers fighting the enemy, it's a noble cause. Nothing to be embarrassed about."

"You really think so?"

"Don't think of them as meds, think of them as energy pellets. They give you the power to slay the boss and rescue the princess," said Sam.

Mike smiled. "I never thought of them like that before."

"And speaking of bosses, I'm fighting one right now!" Sam ran out of the cabin, and as he did he shouted, "You've met your match, Eggman!"

Mike wasn't ashamed of his pills anymore, for the first time he didn't mind taking them. He put on his shoes and then walked to the main lodge. He got his tray, and as he was looking for a table he saw Zoey waving him over to hers.

"Hi Zoey," said Mike cheerfully.

"Good morning, Mike. I'm not sure what breakfast is, but it's not so bad."

Mike set down his plate and then sat beside Zoey. He took a bite of whatever was on his plate and made a face.

"It's still pretty bad, though," said Zoey.

"So, what are you doing after breakfast? I'm pretty sure there's no challenge today."

"I was thinking about going swimming, would you like to join me?"

"Sure! I love swimming."

They only ate a few bites of breakfast, and then they went to their cabin to change. They passed by Jo and Brick, who were jogging and showing off for each other. They also passed Lightning, who was weightlifting and sweet-talking his muscles.

When they met up at the water, they didn't waste any time and dove right in. Zoey wondered why he was wearing a shirt to swim with, but she didn't mind.

"Race you to the buoy!" said Mike. He took off swimming, and she chased him. Mike was about to win, but he slowed down just enough so that Zoey would get there first.

"I won!" she said happily. "But you're a great swimmer. Do you swim often?"

"Not much, but I do it every chance I get."

Zoey splashed him playfully, and after a brief moment of surprise, he splashed back. They laughed and splashed until Zoey gasped.

"Something brushed past my leg!"

"Maybe it was a fish."

"I think it was a shark, and I know this is going to sound crazy, but it felt like it had legs."

Mike pictured a shark with legs in his mind, it was terrifying. "Let's get back to shore."

They swam back quickly and then sat down on the warm sand. There was no sign from the beach of what had brushed past her leg. Zoey calmed down once they were out of the water.

"I should have remembered Chris stocks the water with sharks. But it was still fun."

"I had fun, too." He started digging a hole in the sand, and Zoey caught on quickly to what he was doing. She helped him fill the hole with water, and then they went into the water to catch fish and hermit crabs.

"I found a starfish!" said Zoey.

"It'll complete our aquarium," said Mike as he put three hermit crabs in the water. She put the starfish in and added a few shells.

"It's beautiful, I used to make these when we went to the beach when I was little," said Zoey as they admired it.

"I've never been to an aquarium before, but these are close enough. Wouldn't it be cool if we had tiny dolphins, whales and octopuses to add?"

"Oh yeah, and a tiny ship to sail in it, but then it would be more of a little ocean than a little aquarium. I used to pretend I was swimming in my pools like a mermaid… but that was when I was younger, I don't do it anymore." She tacked that on to the end so she wouldn't sound weird.

Mike didn't want her to get up and leave yet, so he quickly racked his brain for conversation topics. "So, um, what bands do you like?"

"I'm into indie stuff, it's all pretty obscure, you've probably never heard of it." She giggled and said, "That sounded so hipster, I'm sorry."

"Well, you're right, I have never heard of it."

"That's okay, I don't really know anyone that likes it."

"Why don't you let me listen to some of your music? Did you bring an iPod?"

"Yeah, I snuck one in. But you probably wouldn't like it, I don't want to waste your time."

"I like pretty much any music, I'm not picky. And if it means I get to spend more time with you, then it's definitely not wasted."

Zoey blushed. She rose to her feet and said, "I'll go get my iPod, don't move a muscle!"

"I won't!" He couldn't get rid of the stupid grin on his face.

Zoey hurried back with her iPod. She handed him an earbud and kept one for herself. They both laid down in the sand and listened to her music together.

"I'll only play my favorites, and I won't make you listen to too many so you don't get sick of it."

After the first song ended, Mike said, "It's not my favorite kind of music, but I don't have a favorite. I think your music is great, I could listen to every song, all day."

"I'm glad you don't hate it."

They listened to her music for hours, lying in the warm sun. They didn't talk much, they let the music carry them.

"Hey, could you two move? You're in the way of my photo shoot."

Mike and Zoey had fallen asleep. They woke up to see Dakota standing over them. It was now late afternoon.

"Sorry Dakota," said Zoey as Mike stood up and helped her back to her feet.

"It's no problem, it's just that the paparazzi can't hang around here forever. Chris keeps forcing them away, he's such a meanie."

"I'll see you later, Mike," said Zoey. She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I had a wonderful time today, we should do it again soon. Unless you don't want too…"

"No, no, I do, I really do. Today was the best."

She smiled and waved, and he waved back. He went back to his cabin. On his way there, he saw Scott kneeling down behind a bush, spying on his team. It unsettled him a little, he was glad he wasn't on their team. He went to his bunk and took his sketchpad out of his suitcase. He started drawing Zoey, the way she had looked on the beach. He had already drawn the way she had looked on the boat.

Unlike most of his drawings, this one he was proud of. Zoey looked stunning in it. He couldn't ever let her see it though, she would think it was weird. He just wanted to make sure he never forgot the way she looked when she made him smile.

Zoey went back to sit outside her cabin, smiling to herself. She took out her secret diary and started writing in it. The diary was purple, and it had a lock on it. This diary was where she kept her most personal thoughts, ones she didn't want to share with the entire world in the confessional.

_Dear diary, _

_Yesterday, I was afraid Mike was only being nice to me to be polite, but he actually seems to like me. He's so sweet, and funny too, I really like him. I've never felt this way about anyone before, it's confusing and wonderful at the same time. That old man routine was weird, but I can respect his love of acting if he can respect my taste in music. And he's actually intelligent and good-looking, the planets must have been in some strange alignment when he was born to produce such a result. He looks kind of familiar, I wonder if we've ever seen each other before. No, it's probably just my imagination playing tricks on me._

_I hope he'd be okay with hanging out again tomorrow._

* * *

><p>"Hey Dawn, have you seen Zoey?"<p>

Mike had spent the day preparing a surprise for Zoey, but now he had to find her. It was near dusk, and activity was slowing down around camp. The day before, they won the second challenge and Svetlana had made her first appearance. No one suspected the truth, which was a big relief.

Dawn was in the lotus position outside her cabin. "Yes, she's in her cabin."

"Thanks Dawn."

He was about to take off, but she took him by the hand. "I just want you to know that you don't need to be afraid around me, I won't say a word to the others about the other parts of your aura."

"What do you mean?" he asked. He had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly what she meant.

"Your aura is like a rainbow, and rainbows are beautiful things. It's very unique, don't be ashamed of it."

"Um, do you know why it's like a rainbow?" he asked, feeling uncomfortable and vulnerable.

She nodded. "But don't worry, Mike, you're just as sane as I am."

"Great, thanks."

"From what I've seen in Zoey's aura, she's quite accepting of the uniqueness in others. In some cases it may take time, but she won't hold it against you."

"Um, sure." He was getting more creeped out with each second. He'd like to be her friend maybe, if she wasn't so good at reading him, or if she would at least keep it to herself.

"You know, I know some mental exercises that might do you good, if you'd like to learn."

"Thanks Dawn, maybe some other time. Um, I'd like to go find Zoey now, if you don't mind."

"That's okay, I read in the tea leaves for every contestant when I came here, and when I read for you, I saw that our paths will cross again on another day. But I just want to say one more thing. What happened when you were a child wasn't your fault, you did everything you could. It was the fault of your parents."

"What are you talking about? My parents never did anything to me. I'm going to get Zoey."

"All right, see you later, Mike," she said with a smile.

She really gave him the creeps, but he forgot all about it once he saw Zoey leaving the cabin.

"Hey, Mike, you want to go to the main lodge for dinner?" she didn't seem very thrilled about it.

"Actually, no, I have something better in mind, but it's a surprise." He covered her eyes with his hands and started leading her forwards.

"We're almost there, no peeking."

"I'm so excited! Come on, give me a hint."

"No hints, because we're already here. Surprise!"

Mike uncovered her eyes and she gasped. She saw a table with a white tablecloth lit with candlelight. There were two red cloth place mats and dishes that smelled delicious.

"Mike, this is beautiful." He pulled out her chair for her and she sat down. "What's all this for?"

"Well, you've been living on Chef's food since we got here, it's been a week since you've had anything that won't make you have to get your stomach pumped. I thought you deserved a real meal. This is all from Chris' banquet trailer. Chris fired his personal chef last night because he used tap water instead of spring water to boil his noodles, so the trailer was empty. I spent all day in there cooking." He didn't mention the fact that a couple times the food nearly burned because he kept daydreaming about her.

"You made all this yourself? Aw, that's so sweet. So, what do we have to eat?"

"Lasagna with butter rolls and salad, with lava cakes and ice cream for dessert."

"Sounds delicious," said Zoey.

Mike served their food and poured soda in wine glasses, but as he was pouring he accidentally spilled some on the table and it went into Zoey's lap.

"Oh geez, I'm so sorry!" he said as he handed her napkins to clean up with. He was so embarrassed, why couldn't he do anything right?

"Hold on a second." She took her place mat and tied it around her waist, and she managed to make it look cute. "Voila! It's like it never even happened."

Mike let out a sigh of relief that she wasn't mad at him. "I'm sorry I'm such a klutz."

"Well, everyone comes with a flaw of some kind. You're so cool that to balance it out you're a little clumsy. I think it was a worthwhile trade."

He grinned, and Zoey took a bite and said, "Oh my God, this is amazing. Where did you learn to cook?"

"From my dad, he's a professional chef. He made sure I knew how to cook so that I could cook for my future girlfriend and impress her," said Mike as he blushed.

"I am impressed," she said with a smile, and he grinned from ear to ear.

They finished the lasagna and moved on to dessert. They put ice cream on top of their cakes and decorated them with sprinkles and hot fudge.

"You have to give me the recipe for these cakes," said Zoey. "This is the best dessert I've ever had."

"I'm glad you like it, I was worried it wouldn't turn out right."

"Everything is perfect." She kissed him on the cheek, sending sparks coursing through him like electricity. The kiss put him in a daze, it almost knocked him over. It was only a kiss on the cheek, but it was the first time a girl had ever kissed him that wasn't acting in a play, and it was a kiss from the coolest girl in the universe.

"I feel so comfortable around you, Mike," said Zoey as she held his hand. "I'm always afraid I'll say the wrong thing and get on someone's nerves or something, I never thought I'd be able to open up to anyone, but I don't worry about that with you."

"I feel the same way about you." That was truthful in most matters, but not the most important. She didn't need to change a thing about herself to impress him, but he was going to have to try to change a huge chunk of himself to make a relationship between them possible.

"I really feel like I can trust you, and even if I don't win, I'm just glad I got to meet you. You're a really cool person."

Mike felt guilty, she trusted him and he was betraying that trust. But he replied, "Same here. No matter how the game plays out, as long as we're friends or… maybe a little more than friends, I don't care about the money."

She smiled, then said, "It's late, I'd better get to bed. Who knows when Chris is going to spring the next challenge on us, we've got to be ready. Thanks again for dinner, it was fantastic."

"Anything for you."

She smiled again and then went walking back to her cabin. Mike was overjoyed, for once he'd finally done something right.

* * *

><p>"At least try to keep it in your pants, Vito," said Jack as they watched the third episode.<p>

"How has no one caught on to the truth by now?" asked Holly. "They really think it's all an act? Mike admitted to having MPD in the confessional, Chris must know about it by now, why haven't they sent him home?"

"Holly, they can't give someone the boot just because they have a mental disorder, that would be cruel and unfair. Would you really want that to happen to Mike, or to anyone?"

"No, of course not. I just want my baby back."

"And even if they did give him the boot, he wouldn't come straight home, he'd go to that resort where they keep the losers. It's not home, but it's still a million times safer than the island."

They weren't sure how to feel when he first admitted to having multiple personalities on the show. On one hand, people would know that Mike wasn't a two-timing jerk, but on the other, the media was sure to hound him over it. They decided to not pay attention to the tabloids and cross that bridge when they came to it.

"I won't stop panicking until he's home with me so I can protect him from the cold, cruel world out there."

"You can't baby him forever."

"Just because that's true doesn't mean I have to accept it. He's the only baby I'll ever have, I can baby him all I want."

"If only that were true. We have to face facts, he doesn't need us anymore. He's grown up now, he's ready to make a life for himself in the real world."

Since Mike's disorder had so often put him in danger, it made them very overprotective of him. They wanted him to spread his wings, but at the same time they wanted to shield him from everything and keep him from physical and emotional harm. They wanted to keep him at home where it was safe, but now he had gone out on his own, and it was hard for them to cope and come to terms with it.

"Are you trying to make me cry? Because if you keep this up I'm going to be a blubbering mess and you'll be the one who has to deal with it."

"But you know, I'm starting to root for him. His team has won the last two challenges, maybe he has a real shot at winning."

"I guess I want him to win, too. The money would cover surgery if he gets mutated like those animals. Someone's going to get turned into an orange Godzilla thing by the end of the season, mark my words."

"They wouldn't let that happen to a contestant, think of the lawsuits."

"I'll bet you ten bucks."

"You're on."

* * *

><p>The day after Dawn was eliminated, Zoey wrote in her diary.<p>

_Dear diary,_

_I was okay with it when Mike introduced his new character, Svetlana. She seems okay, and she was a big help to us in the obstacle course. But Vito is another story. _

_We were in the middle of a challenge, and he all of a sudden decides to bring out a new character. I wouldn't have minded if he hadn't started flirting with Anne Maria. And then he brought Vito out again in the next challenge and she kissed him! And he went along with it! Did he really think that just because he was playing a character he could go around kissing anyone he wanted? Did he think I wouldn't mind? _

_Mike is allowed to date anyone he wants, but why does he make me feel so special and then turn around and make me feel like dirt? I thought he was sweet and nice, but now it just feels like he's been using me this whole time. I won't have any hard feelings if he wants Anne Maria, but he can't keep stringing us both along like this. Mike is going to have to choose, and if he doesn't choose soon… then I'll choose for him. I need someone loyal, someone who wants only me. And right now, it's looking less and less like it's going to be Mike._

She closed her diary and put it in her pocket and went outside. She passed by Jo and Brick, who were having an arm-wrestling match. Jo said, "You know, if I was dating a guy and he pulled the kind of crap on me that Mike is pulling on you, I'd tear his arms and lips off, see how many bases he gets to after that." Brick shuddered almost imperceptibly.

"I could never do a thing like that!" said Zoey, appalled.

"You just have to find your inner warrior, then no boy will ever cross you again." Jo won the match. "But at least he's bringing out your anger, that's a start. It'll come in handy in winning challenges."

"I don't like feeling angry, I hate feeling this way."

"It's obvious he likes you, you don't need eyes to see that," said Brick as he rubbed his sore arm. "I think he's just a little confused. It's like he gets so into character he forgets he's in the real world. But don't give up on him just yet."

"I don't want to give up on him, I'm giving him another chance, but he's making it really hard."

She continued walking, but Scott ran into her. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going. I was just thinking about Dawn, I still can't believe she betrayed our whole team. It's upsetting to think that someone I trusted would turn on us like that."

"Dawn seemed so nice, I can't believe it either."

"At least I know there are some people on this island who would never betray their teammates," he said as he gave her a meaningful look.

"Yeah, being able to trust someone is a wonderful thing."

"I'll let you be on your way now, thanks for the pep talk. I feel better already."

"See you later, Scott."

She walked to the edge of the forest and sat down. Anne Maria passed by and shot daggers at her with her eyes. She glared right back, but she felt more hurt than angry.

Mike was sitting on the dock, feeling terrible. Vito had started making moves on Anne Maria again right after he had promised Zoey he would stop. Why did he make that promise? There was no way he could ever keep it. And then Anne Maria kissed him, right in front of her. Zoey was pulling further and further away, if this kept up she wouldn't want to have anything to do with him at all. He had to make it up to her and win her trust back, but how? He had to find her, he needed to talk to her.

As he was looking for her, he noticed Cameron standing a ways off with a notepad, scribbling something down. When he noticed that Mike was looking at him, he stuffed the notepad into his pocket and tried to act like he hadn't been doing anything. Mike thought it was weird, but he didn't give it much thought. He also noticed Scott reading a little purple book on the steps of his cabin. Funny, he didn't seem like much of a reader to him.

Anne Maria came up behind him and put her hands over his eyes. "Guess who, hot stuff."

He removed her hands from his eyes. "Anne Maria, you do know that Vito is just a character, right?"

"I know what you're doin', you're playin' hard to get, I love it when guys do that. But I know you can't resist me for long. Let's just take off that pesky shirt…" she started to pull his shirt up, but he yanked it back down.

"No, we're friends, nothing more. I know it's my fault, I came onto you and I gave you the wrong idea and I'm sorry, but I like Zoey."

"You're good at that. All right, keep playin' hard to get, but that's shirt's comin' off sooner or later, sooner if I have anything to say about it."

She went on her way, and Mike kept going. How was he ever going to get her to stop liking him? The only way would be to have Vito break up with her, but he would never do that.

He spotted Zoey at the edge of the woods, looking sad and lonely. He hated seeing her this way, he had to fix this. He saw some flowers growing, and he briefly considered picking them for her. But that would send the message that he thought she could be bought with flowers, and he knew it would take a lot more than a little gift to fix things between them.

"Hey Zoey," he said gently. "Mind if I sit here?"

"You can if you want," she said without looking at him.

"I don't know what came over me in the last challenge, I just-"

"Don't make up excuses. If you want to be with Anne Maria then that's fine. You don't have to use your characters as an excuse to flirt with her or anyone, if you like her then go be with her, I won't stop you."

"But I don't want to be with Anne Maria, I don't like her that way."

"You could have fooled me."

"I'm sorry, I know that my behavior recently has been inexcusable, and my characters are way out of control. I know I need to retire them, but I just can't."

"Because you love acting more than anything else, apparently."

"It's a habit now, because I've been doing it for so long. These characters just come so naturally, it's, um… it's common for method actors to get too wrapped up in their characters, sometimes I forget to be just Mike. But I'm working on it, because I think you're the best."

"In my school, there are some people I call hoppers. I call them that because it seems like they're always hopping from one girlfriend or boyfriend to the next, sometimes in a matter of weeks, sometimes in a matter of days, or even hours. The jocks especially do it, they're practically worshipped there. I've seen them with more than one girlfriend at a time, and the girls don't seem to mind sharing, at least for a little while, anyway. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I could never be in a relationship like that. I thought you were different, Mike, but now I think I was wrong. I thought you liked me, but then you started leading me and Anne Maria both on, and so I don't know what to think. I trusted you, and you betrayed me. How would you feel if I went and kissed one of the other guys right in front of you? Put yourself in my shoes for a minute. Is this a game to you? Is the connection I thought we had fake? Are my feelings just a big joke to you?"

Mike looked away from her, down at his hands in his lap, and said nothing. He couldn't argue that, he had given her every reason in the world to think so poorly of him. The only way to make her understand would be to tell her the truth, but he couldn't bring himself to. He had made the decision that he wasn't going to compare her to Lucy, but he was afraid that if she or anyone else found out the truth that something similar would happen to Lucy's prank, or worst of all, Zoey would despise him.

He thought of Trent, and how he might still be dating Gwen if he had only told her the truth from the beginning. She knew now and was very understanding of it, maybe Zoey could, too. But no, OCD and MPD were two very different things, having multiple personalities was a hundred times worse than a fixation on the number nine. He wanted to believe that she would be understanding, but he couldn't risk it, he couldn't take that chance. He believed he had a better chance of making things up to her if she didn't find out the truth for as long as possible.

"I like you Mike, I really do, and I'm fine with you playing characters, but the way you were leading us on, it wasn't fair to either of us. If you like me then show it, if you want to be with Anne Maria then just tell the truth, but please don't lead me on anymore. I want you to be honest, I don't want you to fake feelings for me or for anyone. If I ever have a boyfriend, I'm not sharing him with anyone, and I want him to respect me and like only me. I need to be able to rely on you, I need to be able to trust you. I think you need to do some serious thinking about what you really want."

She got up and walked away, leaving him there by himself. He felt miserable and helpless. He couldn't lose Zoey, he needed her. She made him feel normal, or as close to normal as he could ever feel. She made him feel like his existence mattered, she made him feel good about himself, something he couldn't do on his own. What kind of life could he have without her? He didn't want to go back to his old life of loneliness. It just didn't seem like his life was worth living without Zoey there by his side. This situation gave the old saying, 'between a rock and a hard place' new meaning. He didn't know what to do.


	21. Trust

After the mine challenge, where Manitoba had shown himself for the first time, Mike was going back to his cabin, but Cameron stopped him.

"Hey, can I talk to you?"

He wondered what he wanted. He considered Cameron to be a friend, but he really wasn't in a talking mood at the moment. Still, he said, "Sure, what about?"

"Um, Mike? Do you have Multiple Personality Disorder?"

"What? Who told you that?" he asked defensively. This was really bad, if Cameron knew about his disorder, he could tell everyone and expose his secret. It would ruin his one chance with Zoey, and Cameron knew it. He would probably use it to blackmail him. Well, if it meant keeping his secret, he'd do whatever he wanted.

"Sixteen years in a bubble makes a guy pretty observant. I don't get why you're keeping it secret, but I think I can help you control it."

"For real?"

"Sure. But you have to help me with Scott, I don't trust that guy."

"Oh dude, this is huge!" He wasn't blackmailing him, it was the opposite. Cameron was a genius, if anyone could help him keep his personalities in check it was him. He felt so relieved and excited at the same time, with his help maybe he could redeem himself to Zoey! He lifted Cameron off the ground in a tight hug and said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Happy to help!" said Cameron, barely able to breathe.

That night, Brick and Anne Maria were eliminated. Mike felt bad about it, but he was very relieved that she was eliminated. He had nothing against her, but now that she was gone Vito couldn't kiss her anymore. Maybe now he and Zoey could patch things up.

After the campfire ceremony, everyone left, but Zoey went to sit down by the dwindling fire. Mike was going to sit down by her, but on the way he passed Jo on her way out. He glanced at her for just a moment, and noticed that she looked wistful. He wondered if it had anything to do with Brick being eliminated.

"What are you looking at, anime hair?" she shouted when she noticed him looking.

"Nothing! I was just going to sit with Zoey."

"And do I look like Zoey to you? Did I suddenly sprout red pigtails? Keep it moving, Romeo!"

He didn't need to be told twice, he didn't look at her again. He went to the campfire and sat down by Zoey. He tried to make small talk. "Those mutant gophers were pretty scary, I'm still freaked out. Of all the mutated animals we've seen here, they scared me the most. It's a good thing Brick came back for us. It's too bad he was eliminated for it, he was a good guy."

"I'm surprised Manitoba didn't handle it, he seemed sure of himself," she muttered. "I wonder which girl he'll go after. And it's too bad about Anne Maria, you must miss her, now that she's gone."

"A little, as a friend."

"What was it you wanted to tell me, when it looked like we were going to be gopher food? You said there was something you needed to tell me."

"Oh yeah. Um, I just wanted to say that... I was going to tell you to make a run for it. There was no sense in us both becoming gopher food."

"I couldn't have done that, I couldn't have left you down there alone to die."

"Really?"

"Of course," she said as she met his eyes. "It's frustrating how you play characters so much, but I still care about you. I prefer Manitoba to Vito, if those are my options. They're both cool characters, you're a good actor."

"I'm too good, my characters are driving a wedge between us."

"You talk about it like you have no choice in the matter. Why do you play characters so much? I'm trying to get to know you, but it feels like whenever I try to, you push me away. Why can't it be just us? Play characters sometimes, but not so much that it comes between us. If something means a lot to you, you make sacrifices for it, right?"

"It's not as black and white as you think."

Just then, Scott came up to them.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, I just wanted to give this back." He held out Zoey's diary. "I found it outside the cabin, it must have fallen out of your pocket by mistake. Don't worry, I didn't read a single word, all your precious secrets are still safe."

"Thanks, Scott, I've been looking everywhere for it. I was so worried someone would find it and read it, thanks for bringing it back," said Zoey appreciatively as she took her diary back. Mike realized that that was the purple book he'd seen Scott reading a few days ago!

"Would you like to walk back to the cabin together? Since we're on the same team now, we've got to look out for each other, in case any mutated animals come out and try to eat us. Not that you need it, I know you can handle anything this island throws at you, but it would make me feel better knowing you're safe and sound."

"That's very considerate of you, Scott," said Zoey as she stood to go with him.

"Wait, Zoey, I'll walk you back," said Mike as he stood up with her.

"It's all right, Mike." She and Scott walked off, but Scott turned back for just a second, just to give Mike a smug, triumphant look. It made Mike seethe and ball up his hands into fists by his side.

"Just tell her the truth already," said a voice behind him.

"Huh?" he turned and saw it was Dakota. She was rubbing her bald head, yearning for her hair.

"Interns have access to the confessional tapes, and when I wasn't rubbing Chris' feet, I saw some of the footage."

"And how do you feel about it?" he asked apprehensively.

"I don't even know what that disorder is. But whatever it is, surely it's not so bad that it's worth ruining your one and only chance with Zoey."

"It ruined my chance with another girl I used to like."

"Well now I don't know what to tell you. If it really is that bad, then maybe you should keep it secret. In soap operas, when someone is keeping a secret from their lover, it always ends with them making up or dying in a romantic way. This is just like a soap opera, but real."

"She'll hate me if she finds out. It's that bad."

"I miss Sam," she said sadly. "That's part of the reason I want you to talk to her, it might make me feel better about never seeing Sam again. But maybe it's for the best. My hair is gone, my nails are ruined and I got callouses all over from all the work Chris made me do. The paparazzi won't want to take pictures of me anymore, no one will like me anymore. I'm nothing without my looks, I'm ugly, and no one likes ugly people. People only like you if you're gorgeous." She looked like she might cry.

"Dakota, you're not ugly," he said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Your hair will grow back soon, but even if it doesn't, you're still pretty."

"I know you don't mean it, you're just being nice."

"I do mean it, and not just on the outside, but inside, too. You're pretty on the inside and the outside."

"My last boyfriend said that's what ugly people say to make them feel better about themselves."

"Do you think I'm ugly?"

"No. Your hair is weird, but you're good-looking."

"And I think real beauty is on the inside, so your boyfriend was wrong."

She brightened up. "So what you're saying is that people will still like me even if I'm not gorgeous? You think Sam will still like me, too?"

"Of course he will."

"No one's ever told me that before. Wait, so that means that Sam, even though he's not attractive on the outside, he is on the inside? That must be why I like him, it all makes sense now! Wow, two years of therapy didn't help at all, but you made the world a prettier place in just five minutes. Thanks, Mike." She hugged him and then went on her way.

Mike was happy to have helped Dakota, but he was losing Zoey more and more every day. He could only hope that Cameron could help him find a way to fix all this.

He went back to the cabin, where Scott was getting ready for bed. He normally stayed out late.

"I know you read Zoey's diary," he said as he closed the door.

"So? It's not like she's going to believe you, she trusts me, remember?"

"That's not why I'm angry." Mike got up right in his face. "You stole it from her and violated her privacy, and then you used it to win her trust. You're making her think you're her friend when really you're sizing her up for the chopping block."

"Oh no, I did a bad thing. Bad Scott," he said as he smacked his wrist.

"Don't read it again."

"Don't have to, read it cover to cover. Mama told me I should read more. You should read what she's written about you, it's hilarious. There are some pages in there about this dream she had about a guy who apparently looked like a raccoon. One of my cousins married his prize-winning pig, but somehow that's weirder. There are a lot of pages in there dedicated to you, and most of them would make you cringe. If I were you, I'd just give up now, stop wasting your energy on something so hopeless."

Mike was fuming, how dare he read her most personal thoughts and then treat them with so little respect? He looked him dead in the eye and said, "Leave her alone."

"And what are you going to do if I don't?" Scott glared right back.

Mike knew he couldn't fight Scott and win. Even if he could win, it would only make him look worse to Zoey. "Just treat her like she deserves from now on, and stop using her."

"Sure, whatever, pal," said Scott with a smirk on his face.

Mike went to bed, knowing that Scott wasn't going to stop. It made him so angry that he had done this to Zoey, and he couldn't stop him. It hurt him too, because he knew that Scott was right, whatever she'd written about him couldn't be good.

* * *

><p>The next day, they had the day to themselves. Mike wanted to show his gratitude to Cameron for helping him out, so he decided to spend the day hanging out with him.<p>

"Hey Cam!" he greeted him at breakfast. Zoey hadn't shown up at the main lodge, which worried him a little.

"What's a cam?" he asked as he sat down beside him. "You've called me that before, but I'm not sure what it means."

"It's a nickname, short for Cameron."

"Oh, I get it. I'm used to Jo insulting me, I thought Cam might be some kind of slang I wasn't familiar with. But I like it, it doesn't hurt my self-esteem."

"Exactly. So Cam, would you like to hang out with me today?"

"I've never hung out with anyone before. What do friends normally do together? I once read a book about making friends, but it was written in the sixties and probably out of date. One of its suggestions was to get high together."

"Is there anything you've wanted to do but couldn't?"

"Well, I think I'd like to play a game, one that doesn't threaten my life and with no pressure to win. Maybe like a sport, but one that doesn't require any athletic ability whatsoever."

"I brought the tennis ball my dog and I play with, we could play catch. Don't worry, there's no winning or losing, and it's easy. You'll be great at it."

"You overestimate my physical skills."

They finished breakfast and then went back to their cabin. Mike found the ball and tossed it to Cameron, who leapt for it but missed by a mile.

"It's okay, you'll get it." Mike showed Cameron how to throw and catch it. Cameron was right-handed, so Mike threw with his right hand to make it easier for him. He couldn't play as well with that hand, so it made them more even. He was soon able to catch the ball almost every time. By lunch, when Cameron threw the ball, it almost reached Mike.

"You're doing great, Cam," said Mike.

"I never thought repeatedly throwing a ball back and forth could be entertaining, but it is. And I haven't broken my glasses or sprung any nosebleeds."

"You want to break for lunch?"

"Yeah, I need time to let my muscles heal," said Cameron. "I think I'm starting to grow biceps!"

As they were walking, a rattlesnake seagull flew down low and it accidentally caught Mike's shirt and ripped it off. Vito came out immediately.

"Later losers, I'm hittin' the beach to work on my tan."

"Hey string bean, save the muscle act for the next challenge," said Jo. She and Lightning were also going to lunch.

"Hey, why do you always play Vito when your shirt comes off?" Lightning asked. "The characters are startin' to get old, cut it out already."

"There's no understanding the minds of actors," Cameron said hastily. He started pushing Vito in the opposite direction of where everyone else was going and said, "Come on Vito, I know the perfect spot, you'll get a killer tan."

Vito went along with it, and as they were going, Cameron saw Zoey walking to the main lodge. She glared at Vito, looking hurt and angry. He was just glad that Mike didn't have to see her looking at him like that.

Once they were out of sight of the others, Cameron took off his hoodie and put it around Vito from behind. Mike was skinny enough that he was able to get it around him and zip it up, but it was way too short.

Mike came back and said, "Weren't we going to lunch?"

"Vito wasn't hungry."

He gasped. "Did he kiss anyone?"

"No, and I got you out of there before he could do anything."

"Wow Cam, you really meant what you said, you really want to help," said Mike as he noticed that he was wearing his hoodie. "You're good at this."

"Of course I meant it, and not just because we need to do something about Scott. I really want to be your friend and help you. I just hope you don't mind me being a bubble boy."

"Only if you don't mind me having multiple personalities," said Mike, grinning. "We really are a couple of misfits."

"You should go put on a shirt, and then let's get lunch. After that, can you show me how to swim? Right now all I can do is dog-paddle, and I can barely do that."

"I'd be happy too."

"You really know a lot about this stuff, Mike."

"Actually, this is all common stuff for teens."

"There's so much I've never done that I want to do, like learn to ride a bike and eat food with sugar in it."

"You're never going back to that bubble, buddy. I'll show you all the world has to see, or at least everything you can do in in my hometown."

"Thanks, Mike."

It was an odd way to begin a friendship, but that's how they became best friends.

* * *

><p>"Woohoo! Go Mike!" said Holly.<p>

"You can do it, son!" said Jack.

Both parents were still extremely worried about Mike, but since they couldn't stop it, they started cheering him on, instead.

"Oh that poor girl, I didn't actually think anyone was going to get mutated."

"Here's your ten bucks," said Jack.

"I don't want it."

"Zoey is really starting to pull away," said Jack as Scott planted more seeds of doubt in her head about Mike. "She hugged him in the last episode, but it's getting worse. I still think Mike has a chance with her, though."

"I thought it was just a crush at first, but he's head over heels. What are we going to do when she lets him down?"

"Are you still on that? Why are you so sure she's going to reject him?"

"She doesn't exactly have a lot of reason to trust him, and a disorder like MPD is really daunting, it'll be too much for her. After what happened the last time Mike liked a girl… I just have trouble trusting anyone anymore, especially where he's involved. I don't want to be cynical, but I can't help it."

"I'm tempted to feel the same way, believing in her hasn't been easy. But I figure that Zoey is the one person in the world who could give Mike a chance, and for now I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt. If only he would tell her the truth, then she would understand and he could make it up to her."

"I wish I could be as optimistic as you are right now. I've bitten my once impeccable nails down to the nub, and I swear my hair is falling out."

"It's not, I promise. I'm the one who's losing hair over that boy," said Jack as he pointed to his receding hairline. "Mike is going to be fine, no matter what happens."

_I hope,_ he thought to himself.

* * *

><p>"Congrats on the new girlfriend, Sam," said Mike. They were sitting outside the cabins. They had a few hours before the elimination ceremony, and so he and Cameron were hanging out with Sam and Dakota. Zoey was there too, she was sitting beside Mike, but she had put some distance between them.<p>

"Thanks, I'm the luckiest guy in the world," he said as he smiled at Dakotazoid lovingly.

"Dakota, I think that you might be able to be de-mutated, but it would probably take several years," said Cameron.

She looked to Sam. "Would Sam still like Dakota if she went back normal?"

"It would be hard, but I'd still love you. I don't care how you look, you'll always be awesome to me."

"Mike was right, Dakota is pretty on inside and outside." She giggled and said, "Dakota would like to be normal, but all she needs is Sam."

"That's so sweet," said Zoey with a smile.

"I'm happy for you both," said Mike. This whole thing was so weird, but seeing them so happy together, it was contagious. Not only that, but even though Dakota was drastically and horribly mutated, she had someone who loved her and would make her feel special. It made him smile.

"Dakota want thank Zoey for helping her today." She picked her up and hugged her, but she hugged her too tight and made her turn blue.

"Careful!" said Mike. She could shatter her entire ribcage, or worse. "Go easy, don't squeeze too hard."

Dakota realized what she was doing. "Dakota sorry." She put her back down and Zoey gasped for air. Dakota looked down in embarrassment.

"It's okay Dakota, you just don't know your own strength yet, it's something you'll have to get used to," said Sam as he held onto one of her fingers. "We'll work on it together, won't we?"

She brightened and said, "Together."

Before the elimination ceremony, Mike asked Zoey to vote for Scott, but didn't pressure her into it. When he walked away, she went up to Cameron, who was looking extremely worried.

"Cameron, can I talk to you?"

"Um, we need to get to the elimination ceremony," he said nervously.

"It'll only take a minute. You and Mike were acting really weird today. When Manitoba came out on the raft, you pushed me into the water on purpose, it wasn't an accident. But it's not just today, you and Mike have been hanging out a lot more than usual the past few days."

"We're friends, that's what friends do."

"I know, and I'm glad you two are friends, but it's weird. You put your hoodie on him when you thought no one was looking. Yesterday Jo brought up the Olympics and you immediately changed the subject. Last night I heard you two talking in your side of the cabin, Mike sounded angry and he was yelling that he hates himself, but then I could swear he started talking like a five year old. When I tried to come in to see what was going on, you swore everything was fine and wouldn't let me come in, you wouldn't even open the door. What's going on, Cameron?"

He bit his lip. He'd already accidentally told Scott Mike's secret, he couldn't let Zoey find out, too. He could see that it was doing more harm than good, but he had to keep Mike's secret, he just had to. This was such a mess. "Nothing's going on, it's just actor stuff that only actors can understand. I was in a play once, I'm the only other actor here who understands it."

"You said you were never out of your bubble until you came here."

Cameron realized his mistake and said, "I meant I read a book about it, The Exhaustive Guide to the Dramatic Arts, also known as Acting for Dummies. Read the book and then you'll understand, too."

"Cameron, I know you and Mike are hiding something from me. Whatever it is, you can trust me, really."

_You already told Scott, that was bad enough,_ Cameron thought to himself. _If you tell Zoey, it'll ruin Mike's one chance with the girl he loves. If you scare her away, he won't want to be your friend anymore, you'll go right back to the bubble! Keep his secret, Cameron!_

"We're not hiding anything!" Cameron was panicking, he was covered in sweat and his eyes were bulging. "We're just actors, doing actor things! To be or not to be, that is the question! I have to go now, I have to go to the elimination ceremony, I can't be late. Bye Zoey!"

He walked away as quickly as he could without breaking into a sprint, leaving Zoey confused and angry.

After the elimination ceremony that night, she went back to her cabin. On her way there, Scott came up to her and said, "I just want you to know that even though Mike and Cameron don't trust or respect you in any way, I do." She was really starting to believe it.

Inside the cabin, through the walls she could hear Mike and Cameron talking, and Mike was talking like a little kid again. If this was a new character, at least he wouldn't be kissing anyone with it. It was a weird character for him to be playing, though, at least the others made more sense. She took out her diary, she needed to vent.

_Dear Diary,_

_I had hoped that maybe Mike and I could work things out, but it's only getting worse. He's hiding something from me, but I don't know what. Cameron's in on it, they're keeping secrets and they obviously don't trust me. Why don't they trust me? Did I do something wrong? I don't know what to think. He's infuriating, why do I even bother with him?_

_Scott's the only one I can trust anymore, but we're not friends, exactly. I don't think Scott is interested in making friends, but he's all I've got. If Mike and Cameron don't trust him, then that's probably a good sign that I should. _

_It was so stupid of me to think that coming here could help me make friends. What was I thinking? I mean sure, I've made a couple friends, but I wonder if any of them will want to stay in touch after all this is over. Mike won't, that I'm almost certain of. I opened up so much to him, only to have him turn on me, it makes me not want to trust anyone else. I guess I might as well resign myself to things being the exact same when I get home. The only thing that's changed is that now I'm angry and cynical, and I hate feeling this way._

On the other side, Mike came back to himself after Zoey fell asleep. He had been in an anxiety attack, but Cameron locked Scott out to keep him from coming in. But now that he knew about his disorder, it didn't matter much anymore. After he came back to himself and recovered, Cameron described what had happened to him.

"That attack was intense," said Cameron. "It brought out that little kid alter again."

"I've had worse. Thanks for helping me through it. You said I was talking like a little kid?"

"Like last night, though last night you didn't have an attack. Zoey heard, and she probably heard some of what just went on."

"I've been working harder than ever to keep them in, how has that one come out twice in two days? I'm usually pretty good at keeping alters like that in."

"You're obviously stressing over Zoey finding out, and the extra stress is bringing them out. It's definitely what caused that attack. You need to tell her, she's smart and she'll figure it out soon on her own anyway, she'll take it better if you tell her."

He sighed. "I just can't. If you knew the reason I came to this show in the first place, you'd know why. I'm sorry I'm asking so much of you."

"I was fascinated the entire time. I'm learning so much, you can't learn everything from books. But please tell Zoey soon. If for no other reason, do it for your own wellbeing, that's the most important thing in this whole equation. All this extra stress isn't just bringing these alters out, it's also taking a toll on your physical health, and it's starting to show. You look tired, how many hours of sleep have you been getting a night on average?"

"Enough. But Cam, I'm fine, I promise."

"Mental health is directly linked to physical health, so all this stress isn't good for you. Not to mention, but Scott is going to squish me like a bug if I keep locking him out of the cabin, I've already had to do it twice in a row. You're lucky he stays out late every night setting up booby traps, I don't know if he even knows I've been locking him out. Also, just do it for Zoey. I don't want to see you lose her, I know how much you like her, and she likes you, too."

"You think we still have a chance?"

"If she didn't still like you, she wouldn't be putting forth the effort to find out what's going on and get to the bottom of this. She obviously still cares, but she's not going to take much more of this."

"You'd better open this door or I'm going to smother you both!" Scott shouted as he pounded on the door.

"Sorry! I was getting dressed and forgot to unlock it!" Cameron reluctantly opened the door.

Mike didn't say anything more. He laid down in his bed and turned to face the wall. Sleeping was going to be difficult, because his personalities were raging in his head louder than usual. It had been like this every night for a while now, that was why he hadn't been getting enough sleep. They were annoyed at how he and Cameron had been working extra hard to keep them in just to try to impress Zoey.

"_This isn't fair! Why should you get to be out all the time with ugly Zoey? Anne Maria is way hotter, you can't keep me locked in here away from my girl!"_

He had been about to tell him Anne Maria was gone, but Svetlana spoke first_. "Svetlana has been trying to be patient vith you, Mike, but zis is ridiculous! Ve are friends, but you are treating us like your prisoners!"_

"You're not prisoners!" he whispered loudly. "I just want to get Zoey to like me, and you guys keep getting in the way of that! This is my body, my mind, not yours! She makes me happy and I don't want to lose her, why is that so hard for you to understand? Why can't you just leave us alone?"

"_This island is packed with weird and unique creatures that no one else has ever wrangled before, and you expect me to be content sitting around not wrangling them? Crikey, you really are soft in the head."_

"Look, I'm sorry, but I really like her. I don't want to push her away. I feel bad about keeping you guys contained, but I have to or Zoey will never like me back."

They continued shouting at him, and he knew Cameron was right, he had to tell Zoey soon. He tried to gather courage, but he had none. It kept him up most of the night.

* * *

><p>"Pick up the pace, get the lead out of your pants!"<p>

"I'm driving as fast as I can, Scott!"

"You'd better drive faster or I'll let the cat out of the bag. Zoey will never like you if she finds out the truth!"

They were in the racing challenge, and Scott was blackmailing Mike into helping him win the challenge. How had it come to this? Scott was holding all the cards, he couldn't beat him. All he could do was obey his every command, but in doing so he was pushing Zoey further and further away.

They made it to the next landmark, the totem pole.

"Mike, give me a boost," said Scott. Mike had no choice and went along with it.

"Stop helping him and help yourself!" said Zoey. Scott didn't need help and Mike didn't need him, so why was he helping him?

"I am, honest."

"Ha ha! In your face!" said Zoey as she began to paint.

"In yours!" said Scott as he threw his paint can at her, knocking her down. "Whoopsie!"

"Zoey, hold on!" said Mike as he tried to climb up to help her, but Scott slid back down and landed on him.

"I'm going to need a tow to the last landmark."

"Tow yourself! I'm helping Zoey!" This had to stop, keeping his secret wasn't worth it if it put Zoey in danger. Keeping this secret wasn't helping anyone anymore, if he kept this up she would hate him even if she never found out about his disorder. Hiding from her only made things worse. It was time to stop hiding.

"Fine, I'll just get a lift from someone else!" He ripped off his shirt, and Mike blacked out. Scott and Vito took off, leaving Zoey hanging.

"How could he do this to me?" Zoey asked herself as she tried to pull herself up. "He never cared about me at all! He left me to fall to my death! They both did!"

When she lost her grip and fell, she was amazed that she was still alive. But now she could only think of one thing: Making Mike pay for what he did to her. She'd never punched anyone before, but she was about to give Mike a piece of her mind. Scott too, it was his fault she fell. She'd trusted both of them, and now they were going to pay.

"Mike, we are done!" she yelled when she found him at the final landmark. "Not that we ever even started you-" She gasped when she saw him, hurt and unconscious. She was still very angry, but she couldn't ignore someone who needed her help, even if they didn't deserve it. "Mike? Mike? Mike!"

Mike woke up in a strange, yet familiar place: His own subconscious. His personalities wanted to take full control away from him, but he wasn't going to let that happen. He had come too far, he cared too much about Zoey to lose her.

Mal was standing by his boulder farther off, carving it into his likeness with smaller stones. He wasn't as bored as he had been before, in fact, he'd enjoyed the time spent on this island more than any of the other personalities.

The reason he hadn't been bored lately was because of the small mayhem he was causing in Mike's mind. Ever since day one, he'd sent out whispers through Mike's head to the other alters, egging them on and tantalizing them with the idea of overthrowing Mike. These whispers had never had any effect before, but now that they were already angry at Mike, his whispers were working. He was always trying to keep them contained, but he was working overtime now, in the fleeting hope that Zoey wouldn't run for the hills once she knew the truth. They didn't like being held back so much, and so his little suggestions were finally finding purchase.

He remembered Zoey from when they were children, and that knowledge put a smile on his face. Oh, the fun he could have with her. Too bad Mike didn't recognize her, but that was okay, he didn't need to recognize her for Mal to use her against him. A hundred ideas rushed through his head of what he could do, each one better than the last, and it was hard to pick a favorite. Well, it's not like he was in a rush to choose. Imprisoned, he had an overabundance of time.

He was singing quietly to himself, _"'Til now your shine was merely silver. Friends, you shall drip rubies, you'll soon drip precious... rubies…"_ when he heard a commotion. Mike was fighting the others. From this distance, he couldn't see very well, but he could tell it was brutal, and he enjoyed it very much. He moved as close as he could to see them better with a gleeful grin on his face.

He was a little disappointed when Mike won the fight, but as Mike was taking back control, he felt his shackles loosen. The blow to the head must have weakened them. He was still a prisoner, but he wouldn't be for long.

Mike heard Zoey's voice, and it brought him back to himself.

"Mike, are you okay?"

"Better than okay, I won! Zoey listen, my characters, they're not just for show, I… I have multiple personalities."

"Yeah, I know, Cameron just told me."

"Sorry!"

"I should have told you first, I just didn't want you to think I was a total freak, because the real me, really likes you, a lot."

_This is it,_ Mike thought miserably. He braced himself for the worst, because he knew it was coming. In that moment, he hated himself and wished he could just disappear forever. _She knows about my personalities, she's going to be disgusted, she's going to hate me even more than before. Maybe she'll be okay with staying friends. No, I've done too much damage for that. She'll never speak to me again, she'll never even look at me again. I'm sorry I ever came to this island and wasted Zoey's time. I was an idiot for ever coming here. How could I have been so stupid to think going on this show would be the answer to my problems? All I've done is ruin myself. Why did I get my hopes up again? Why do I always set myself up for failure and heartbreak? When will I learn my lesson? I should leave and stay alone, shut myself off from everyone else. No one could hurt me ever again, and I wouldn't be everyone's problem anymore. _

He couldn't believe it when she did the complete opposite of what he was expecting. She giggled and said, "Are you kidding? I love oddballs, and you're officially the coolest one ever. Multiples just means there's more Mike to love." She didn't fully understand the disorder, she'd never done research or anything on it, but she was going to the next time she had access to a computer. She wanted to be there for Mike, and to do that she would have to understand it.

Mike was almost overwhelmed with joy. He'd spent so much time hiding in fear from rejection and contempt from others. Now he didn't have to hide anymore, he felt freer than he'd ever felt before.

Chef wouldn't let them use the go-karts to get back, so they had to walk. Mike and Zoey held hands as they walked, with Cameron by their side.

"Cameron, were you helping Mike hide his personalities?" asked Zoey. "Is that the secret you two were keeping from me?"

"Yeah, sorry about that," said Cameron.

"I understand why you acted the way you did before, but please don't lie or keep secrets from me anymore, okay?"

"I won't. I just can't believe you still like me."

"I don't think I ever stopped liking you, although I was this close to knocking you into next week. If I was going to break up with you, it would be because of the lies and secrets and kissing other girls, not because of your condition. But now that I know it wasn't your fault, I forgive you."

"You forgive me, too?" asked Cameron.

"Of course," she said as she put an arm around his shoulder.

"And do you think we can stay in touch after the show ends?" asked Cameron. "I might be just a bubble boy, but I'm willing to try the experience known as 'fun.'"

"Sure! Cam, you're my best friend, we'll hang out all the time after the show ends," said Mike.

"Really? I can't believe it, I have a best friend!"

When they made it back to the campground, Mike went to his cabin to put on a shirt, but then remembered that it had been destroyed. Everything he'd brought with him was gone. He had a spare shirt in his pocket in case of Vito emergencies, but that was it. Not that he'd brought anything valuable, but still.

"Mike!" said Cameron as he ran up to him.

Mike was putting on the shirt and he turned around. "Yeah, Cam?"

"You've been taking medication this whole time, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You kept it in your suitcase in our cabin, didn't you?"

Realization dawned on him. "Oh no, now it's all been destroyed, I didn't even think about that. I'm due for my next dose, and the cabin was destroyed before I could take my morning dose, and it's all gone. Well, I'll live."

"Hold on. I've been studying you since I first started to suspect that you had DID. I noticed that you take medication and I documented how much you take each time. When I became your aspiring doctor, I took a few pills in case we were ever in an emergency and you needed them. I've still got them here, enough for one dose."

He held out a plastic bag with the pills, and Mike said, "Thank you so much, Cam, thanks for looking out for me. This means so much, but this won't last very long, I might crash if I go too long without taking them."

"That might not be a problem. Scott technically won the challenge, and now that he can't use you anymore…"

"He's going to choose me for the Hurl of Shame. You're right Cam, I'm not going to be here tomorrow."

"You should be able to get access to the medication you need at Playa Des Losers, and make sure you remember to take them."

Mike was sad for a moment, but then he brightened up again. "But I made it to the top six! I never thought I'd make it this far."

"You did great Mike, and don't forget your other accomplishment."

"Oh yeah, Zoey. I finally redeemed myself to her and we just kindled our relationship, and now I'll have to leave her. I have to give her something to remember me by, but what? I don't have time to make her anything, and even if I had anything valuable here with me, it would have been destroyed in the cabin. Do you have any ideas?"

"I do, actually." Cameron smiled and pulled something else out of his pocket. "I found this in the rubble when I was trying to save your meds. It was all I could salvage of your stuff as well as mine, so I kept it. Kind of weird to have a necklace with your face on it, but do you think she'll like it?"

It was Trent's gift, completely undamaged.

"I never thought I'd be happy to see this thing. It's the best I've got, it'll work. I'll have to thank Trent when I get home. Thanks again, Cam, you're a lifesaver."

"Anything for my best friend."

He tucked the necklace into his pocket. He was ready for the elimination ceremony.

* * *

><p>Jack and Holly watched as Mike battled his alters. They had no idea what was going on inside his mind, his body was attacking itself.<p>

"If only we could see inside his head!" Holly lamented.

After he won the fight, they watched with bated breath as Mike finally admitted his disorder and his true feelings to Zoey. They were both silently praying that she would have mercy on him, that even if she did refuse him, she would at least be gentle about it.

Zoey blew both their minds when she not only accepted Mike for who he was, but still wanted to be with him, as well. Jack and Holly both jumped off the couch, knocking the bowl of popcorn onto the floor. They screamed and cheered.

"He did it! He really did it!"

Holly said, "Has anyone ever told you how handsome you are?" and pulled Jack in for a kiss. They only ended it so they could see who was going home.

"Eenie, meenie, miney, mo, who's the biggest lose-io?" said Scott. "It's Mike."

"Are you kidding me?" shouted Jack. "He took advantage of his disorder and blackmailed him, almost made him lose Zoey, and knocked him out with a club! And now he's kicking him out? And on a catapult no less. If I could get my hands on him I'd…"

Jack had finally lost that controlled calm he'd had and the explosion came. Holly was angry too, but she said, "Jack it's okay, who cares about the money? He got the girl, he won!"

* * *

><p><em>Dear Diary, <em>

_Mike was eliminated tonight, and it broke my heart. He gave me a necklace before he was catapulted. He said it wasn't the best gift in the world, but it was all he had to give me to remember him by. I love the necklace, but I don't need it to remember him. I could never forget the one who stole my heart. _

_I finally understand why Mike was acting so strangely, he has MPD. I wish he had told me sooner, but I don't blame him for trying to hide it. It must have been so hard to carry such a huge secret, I would have done the same in his position. I wonder how differently things would have been for us if I had known from the first day he had MPD. I want to say I would have immediately accepted him, but if I'm being honest, I really don't know. Would I have avoided him or pretended he didn't exist? I might have, as much as I hate to admit it. I would have still been nice to him, and maybe I still would have liked him, but it would have been harder. _

_Even though I wish he had told me sooner about his condition, in a way I'm glad he waited so long. I got to get to know him first and see how cool and wonderful he is without his disorder clouding my judgment. It was hard with him switching characters and kissing other girls, but I could still see that he was nice, and even with everything going on I still couldn't stop myself from liking him. This makes me believe that if he had told me from the beginning I would have received him with open arms and still wanted to be his girlfriend. If I can still have a scrap of faith in a guy after watching him cheat on me (even though we weren't technically dating) then of course I could accept his disorder._

_I'm just so happy and relieved to finally know. I thought he was a big jerk, but now I see that he never stopped being sweet, there were just a few extra people in the Mike package. Now that I know, I feel like we can start over as girlfriend and boyfriend. I can trust him now, and I'm not mad at him anymore. I think I might even love him. Having a boyfriend with multiple personalities won't be easy, that's for sure, but I think I can handle it. I do love oddballs, after all, and Mike is my favorite one of all._


	22. Her

_**Author's Note: **__Don't expect anything too exciting to happen in this chapter or the one after it, they're both pure unadulterated zoke fluff.  
><em>

* * *

><p>When Mike returned home, his mother yelled at him, which he had been expecting.<p>

"How could you do that to us? Taking off like that? And to go on Total Drama Deathtrap? What were you thinking? I was scared to death, don't ever do that to me again!"

Mike hugged her and said, "I'm sorry Mom, I won't ever leave without telling you again. I'm sorry I scared you, it was pretty stupid of me, but if I hadn't gone I never would have met Zoey."

"I know that, but you can't go doing that to your mother. I love you so much, you're my baby, and you'll always be my baby, even when you're a hundred and one."

She took a while in releasing him. Jack pulled him in for a hug and said, "I'm proud of you son. Even though you didn't win, I'm still very proud. But like your mom said, no more unexpected journeys, please."

"Okay Dad."

Satchimo ran and leapt up into his arms and eagerly licked his face. "I missed you too, boy. Let's go play!"

Todd called to tell him that when he'd said he should get some fresh air he hadn't meant to go on an insane reality show, but he also told him how proud he was that he had made it so far and congratulated him on Zoey. Wendy also called to tell him that she was proud of him, but she wasn't crazy about Zoey. She liked her well enough, but she didn't think she deserved him. Mike was used to this, he knew that no one would ever be good enough for him in his grandmother's eyes, so he just smiled and went along with it and said, "Okay Nana."

In his first session with Dr. Lace after returning home, she told him that she had been disappointed to see him completely reject her advice, but she was proud to see how far he had made it, it showed how far he had come since he was a child.

Trent called and said, "Congratulations on Zoey, you couldn't do any better. Never take my relationship advice again, because clearly you do not need it. If I ever try to give you advice again just shut me up. Anyway, we need to hang out sometime soon, I want to meet your girlfriend."

Leshawna also called. "Looks like you won't be needing that paper bag after all. You showed 'em, Mike, you showed everyone what you're made of. Great job."

The paparazzi came around sometimes and tried to get an interview with him, but he turned down every offer. He knew they would focus on his disorder, and that was not something he wanted to talk about. He also didn't like answering their questions about him and Zoey, he was okay with posing for pictures every now and again, but they were just beginning their relationship, which could be confusing enough at times without the whole world poking their noses into it. Fortunately though, the media was generally positive in their articles about Mike. Not always, but for the most part he was portrayed as sort of a hero who was able to get the girl in spite of his condition. He didn't see himself that way, but he didn't mind.

After he came home, people started treating him a little differently. They were warmer towards him, some even friendly. They seemed to respect him more. There were still some people put-off by him, but he had accomplished his goal and proven himself.

One morning, he got a visit from someone unexpected. "Hi Mike, it's been a while since we've seen each other, huh?"

"What do you want, Lucy?" he asked warily.

"You know that what happened the night of the dance was just a harmless prank, right? We didn't mean anything by it."

"Yeah, I throw eggs at people all the time, it's all in good fun." He said in a neutral tone.

"I didn't want to be a part of it, but they needed me to be the bait, they forced me into it. I really wanted to go to the dance with you."

"You did? And here I was thinking that I wasn't your type. Me being a freak and all."

"I had to go along with it, I had no choice. I've been wanting to apologize since the night it happened, but I kept missing my chance. I want to start over and work things out, I believe a relationship between us is possible."

"Enough, I don't want to hear anymore. I know you're only trying to get with me because of my fame from Total Drama, and I'm not having it. I had a crush on you for years, you knew it all along, and you used it to tear me down. You don't know what your 'harmless little prank' almost caused that night. Even if I wasn't dating Zoey, I'd still say no, because I deserve better than you. Now Lucy, please do us both a favor and never come here again."

She angrily stormed off, and he felt stronger after pushing her away.

On the night Mike first brought Zoey over to meet his parents, he was in a mad frenzy to make sure the house was perfect. Jack and Holly were very eager to meet her.

"Oh, I wish I had a baby album to show her," Holly lamented.

"This is when being adopted really comes in handy," Jack whispered to Mike.

When Zoey knocked on the door, Mike rushed to answer it. "Hey Zoey!"

"Hey Mike!" She grabbed him in a hug. They were both dressed casually.

"Come inside, I can't wait for you to meet my parents. They're awesome, you're going to love them."

He took her to the kitchen where they were waiting for them. "Mom, Dad, this is Zoey. Zoey, this is my mom, Holly."

Holly didn't waste any time. She went right over to her and hugged her. "I've been so excited to meet you. I'll be honest, I had my doubts about you at first, but you went above and beyond to prove why you deserve to be Mike's girlfriend. Come by my salon sometime, I'll give you a free mani-pedi and we can have some girl time away from the boys."

"That sounds great."

"And this is my dad, Jack."

Jack didn't hug her, he instead held out his hand for her to shake. Instead of shaking it, she hugged him. "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Skinner."

"Please, call me Jack, and the honor is all mine. Just so you know, I never doubted you."

Satchimo ran up and put his paws on her. "Aw, what a cute doggie!" she said as she petted him. Mike had warned her and she'd taken allergy medicine before coming. She didn't like taking allergy meds, but it was worth it to visit Mike.

"Come to the table Zoey, we have so much to talk about."

Most of the conversation revolved around Mike when he was younger, Holly had no end of stories to tell about him. Jack had already warned him about this, saying his own mother did it to him when he was his age and that it was just a mom thing that couldn't be helped. Mike was a little embarrassed, but he didn't mind too much. Zoey threw in some embarrassing stories about herself, and that made him feel better about it. Jack eventually managed to get the topic off of Mike and they talked about other things.

After Zoey went back home, Jack and Holly concluded that they liked Zoey very much and that Mike did a good job in finding her.

Mike's parents loved Zoey from the start, but getting Zoey's parents to like Mike was a whole other story. When she first came home, her parents were very happy to see her, but whenever she tried to bring up the topic of Mike, they quickly changed the subject.

"So, like I was trying to say before, I want to introduce you to-"

"Oops, I'm missing the big game, you'll have to tell me later, pumpkin."

"Mom, I-"

"Why don't you go unpack your suitcase so we can wash your clothes from the island. I'm sure they could use a good washing, maybe three."

"I just want to say-"

"Hold on, they're about to score a goal!"

"Will you please-"

"Is that the phone ringing?"

"Let me talk!" she shouted. They stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her. Zoey sat down on the couch, and her mother came to sit beside her. Her father sat in his recliner.

Her father was Japanese, and had jet black hair, with silver on the sides. He was a stern man, but not unbendable. He enforced several rules around the house, but still gave Zoey enough freedom to spread her wings.

Her mother was petite, with light red hair that went past her shoulders and clear blue eyes. Zoey had inherited that red hair, but she wanted it redder so she dyed it. She was also stern, but less so than her husband.

Zoey cleared her throat. "Now, what I wanted to say is, I want to introduce you to my boyfriend, Mike. I know he's not the ideal man you had in mind for me, but I think you would really like him if you would give him a chance."

"We saw him on the show, and he does seem nice, but we don't think he's the one for you," said her mother, Elise.

"What about that guy from school, that guy who asked you out," said her father, Riley. "Ace, that was his name, Ace Hogan. He's the captain of the football team and he's got a full ride through college. Wouldn't he be a better choice?"

"Ace makes the mascot costume look like Einstein."

"No one's perfect," said Elise.

"Exactly, both Mike and Ace have their flaws, so it shouldn't matter which one I pick."

"Try to look at it from our point of view," said Riley. "Imagine you have a teenage daughter who brings home a boy with an unpredictable mental disorder. Would you be thrilled about it?"

"Well, no, not at first anyway. I would have to get to know the guy, see what he's like. If he's a big jerk, I'd tell her to make him hit the road. But if not, if he was sweet and caring, I would encourage her to stay with him. You need to meet Mike before you make assumptions about him."

"Zoey, this is your future we're talking about," said Elise. "If Mike endangers it in any way, we can't just sit by and do nothing. It may sound cruel, but we care about your future more than we do his. If he puts your education, your future career, or anything else at risk, then we can't give you our blessing. If helping him manage his disorder drags you down and affects your quality of life, then we won't approve. We care too much about you to see you hurt in anyway."

"He's not a risk to me or my future, and he won't drag me down. Please, let him come over for dinner. I'm going to date him whether you like it or not, but I really want your blessing in this. Please, give him a chance, for me."

"Fine, invite him over," said Riley grudgingly.

That Saturday night, Mike came over to Zoey's house for dinner. All he could think during the entire drive over was that he would rather face Fang and mutant gophers over meeting his girlfriend's parents any day. But it would make Zoey happy, so he was going to have to face the music.

"Please guys, let me make a good impression," he said over and over to his alters. "Don't screw this up for me, just for tonight, let me seem normal so her parents will like me."

"_Her parents are never gonna accept you,"_ said Vito. _"If I were you, I'd split while you still can. Don't you remember when that other girl's dad fired at you with his shotgun and set his Doberman on you?"_

"Vito, that was you."

"_Oh yeah. Still though, it's a bad idea." _

"Just behave yourselves and things should be okay."

He got no response to that. He wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one.

He pulled into her driveway. Zoey lived in a bigger, nicer house than he did. In the dim twilight, he saw a gorgeous flower garden and a water fountain. All this just made him even more nervous.

He took the flowers he'd bought for her and rang the doorbell, and Zoey almost immediately answered. She had on a sixties style polka dot dress, and she had let her hair down for the occasion. When he'd asked what he should wear, she'd told him to wear whatever he wanted. He was wearing dress pants and one of his nice shirts. He was worried that he was too formal, or not formal enough. This was one of about a thousand concerns he had.

"Zoey, you look stunning," he said, barely able to take his eyes off her.

"Wow Mike, you look great, and these orchids are beautiful. Come inside!" she sniffed the flowers, kissed him on the cheek, and took his hand. "Mom, Dad, this is my boyfriend, Mike."

Riley and Elise were standing in the kitchen. They looked up when she introduced Mike and tight, forced smiles.

"Hello Mike, it's a pleasure to meet you," said Elise.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Roth. You look lovely." He was so nervous it felt like he was falling apart at the seams, but he was a great actor, and he was able to pretend that he wasn't being overcome by nerves. He was able to smile and keep his hands from shaking.

"Mike." That was all Riley had to say in way of greeting.

"Hello, Mr. Roth." Mike extended his hand, but when Riley didn't take it, he let it drop awkwardly.

"Well, dinner is ready, why don't we all sit down," said Elise.

Zoey put the flowers in a vase and put them in the center of the table. They all took their seats, Riley and Elise sitting across from Zoey and Mike. Zoey held his hand under the table and squeezed it to help him relax. It didn't help much here, but he was still grateful for it.

"So Mike, Zoey tells us you're adopted."

"Yes sir."

"How old were you when they took you in?"

"I was ten, sir."

"Did you develop MPD before or after you were adopted?"

Mike opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Zoey said, "You know, I met Jack and Holly a couple weeks ago, and they're so funny. Jack tells the best jokes, I can see where Mike got his sense of humor from. My favorite was..."

This was how the rest of the evening went. Riley and Elise both asked Mike all kinds of questions about himself, but whenever they steered too close to the subject of his MPD, Zoey smoothly changed the subject so Mike wouldn't have to talk about it. He couldn't express his gratitude with words, so every time she changed the subject for him he squeezed her hand in thanks.

During the meal, Svetlana randomly came out in the middle of one of Mike's sentences.

"I think I'd like to go into act- Ooh, you are having dinner. Ham, why ham? Svetlana sees no vegetables anyvere, vat kind of meal is zis? Zis is no meal for a champion!"

Riley and Elise gasped and stared, and Zoey could feel them judging Mike with their eyes.

"Mike, let's finish dinner. Mike, can you hear me?"

Svetlana was in the middle of leaping out of her seat when Mike returned. He fell on the floor and stood back up in embarrassment. He wasn't entirely sure which alter had appeared, but he was angry at all of them for not listening to him. He took back his seat and Zoey tried to get the conversation rolling again.

"That Svetlana, what are we going to do with her?" she said, playing it off. "Anyway, where were we? Oh yeah, we were talking about college plans."

The conversation wasn't quite the same after that, and Mike was sure he had blown his one chance to make a good impression. They'd never accept him now, and despite his disappointment, he still had to act natural.

After the meal was finished, Riley said, "I'd like to talk to you privately for a minute, Mike. Just about men stuff, you know. Why don't we go outside on the deck."

Zoey had no excuse for Mike not to go, so she had no choice but to release his hand and let him go. Mike didn't protest and followed him out. Zoey helped her mother clean up the table and wash the dishes, all the while hoping her father wasn't threatening his life.

After they shut the door, Riley sat down at the patio and gestured for Mike to do the same. Mike could imagine a million things he'd rather do, but he sat down anyway. He gazed up at the stars for a moment. There were only a few visible stars, the rest were blocked by clouds.

"I think you understand why I have some misgivings about your relationship with my daughter," Riley began.

Mike said nothing.

"Someday you might have a daughter of your own, and she'll be the most important thing in your world. There isn't anything you wouldn't do for her, but that's not always enough. Your daughter will grow up and blossom, and the boys will start to notice. There's not much you can do at that point, you want her to be free and happy but you want to keep her safe at the same time. It's a hard line to walk.

"I can't choose Zoey's boyfriends for her, I would if I could. I'll admit you're not my first choice, or my second or third, but I suppose there are far worse boys she could be with. She could have brought home that ginger farmer from the show, if she had I would definitely make her kick him to the curb. But you seem nice, and you do seem to genuinely care about Zoey."

"Oh, I do, I really do. She's everything I ever wanted."

"I'm glad you think that way, but that's not enough. My daughter is going to get married someday, and to be comfortable with that, I have to trust her partner, and I don't know if I can trust you. Why should I trust you, Mike?"

Mike thought for a moment before answering. "You see those stars up there? You can only see a handful because the clouds are hiding the rest. That's me. I have so many clouds in my life, and only a few stars to keep me going. But when I went on Total Drama and met your daughter, she became my north star, the brightest one in my life. I have a few more stars now than I did before, and though I've only known Zoey for a short time, I can't imagine going through life without her star lighting up my cloudy night sky.

"If I get the privilege of having Zoey by my side, you can be sure that I will always do whatever I have to do to protect her. I would respect her and spend every day thinking of new ways to make her happy. I never thought I would meet anyone like her, and so I'll never take her for granted. Her safety and her happiness is what matters most to me. I understand that you want to protect your daughter, and you worry that having a boyfriend with a disorder like mine might do her more harm than good, but with her around, I feel more normal than I ever have before. My parents tell me that my condition doesn't make me crazy, but Zoey is the one who makes me believe it. She gives me hope, and for a long time I didn't have much of that. She's become my whole world."

Riley looked up at the stars and didn't talk for a long time. Mike hoped he hadn't sounded stupid, but it's how he really felt. He hoped so much to gain their approval. Zoey had already told him that she would stick by him no matter what they thought of him, but he didn't want to cause tension in her family, he didn't want to be a wedge that drove them apart. If being with her meant she had to burn bridges, he didn't think he could stay with her in good conscience.

"I suppose I'll never be completely satisfied, even if Zoey were to bring home the perfect man. She'll always be my little girl, and the idea of giving her away someday is terrifying. But as far as boyfriends go, you're all right. I think we can get along."

Riley extended his hand and Mike shook it. Riley leaned in and whispered, "I've got my eye on you, though."

"I understand, thank you sir."

They went back inside and Riley went to talk to Elise privately. When they came back out, Elise said, "Riley told me what you told him, and I just want to say that you have our blessing. We look forward to seeing you around more often."

"But no funny business," said Riley. "I don't think I need to tell you what's off limits."

"That's okay Dad, I want to wait until marriage, anyway. Make it more special."

The mention of marriage and the implications made Mike's cheeks blush. He was so relieved that they had accepted him, and Zoey was very pleased.

Over the course of the next year, Mike and Zoey visited each other as much as possible. They shot for every weekend.

On their first date after Total Drama, Mike came over to Zoey's house. She fixed dinner, and afterwards they went upstairs to her room so she could show him the clothes she had made.

"I mostly just make dresses, sometimes people buy them online. But I've made a few outfits for guys, too. Would you like to be my model?"

Mike was self-conscious, but he didn't let that stop him from having fun with his girlfriend. "Why not?"

He put on everything she gave him to try on, though he had to pull the shirts over the one he was already wearing. Most of them were brighter colors that he never would have worn otherwise, but he didn't mind them so much. He liked bright colors, but he preferred to wear muted colors to help him blend in and not stand out. That's why he only wore yellow to sleep in. He loved bright colors on Zoey, every color of the rainbow would look beautiful on her. Most of her designs were too loose on him, but she took pictures of him in each one anyway.

"I'm going to design something just for you, something you're size," she said as she took his measurements. "You know, these clothes actually aren't big, you're just ridiculously tiny. How do you find clothes?" she asked as she measured his chest.

"I shop in the doll section," he replied, and she giggled.

"You could be a professional model if you wanted to be," said Zoey with a giggle as she snapped another picture.

"It's an actor's life for me. You should become a professional designer though, celebrities everywhere would wear your clothes."

"I've considered it, but I just like doing it for fun. If I make it my job, it won't be fun anymore. I think I'd rather go into teaching, I love little kids. Hey, do you want to help me design a new outfit?"

"Okay," said Mike as he got on the bed and put his arms around her from behind. She took out her sketchpad and began to draw. Mike threw in suggestions about styles and colors and she incorporated them into the design.

"Mike, I'm sorry babe, but designing clothes is not for you," said Zoey as she held up the final product. The design was atrocious.

"My dreams are crushed!" he said dramatically.

Zoey put on her best dress and Mike wore one of her suits. They put on a CD of her indie songs and danced to the music. The melody was fast and they had to move fast to keep up.

"Mike, you're a great dancer," she said breathlessly after the first song ended. "Is there anything you can't do?"

"Design clothes," he replied, and she laughed.

One day, Zoey was at work after school at the flower shop. She loved arranging the flowers, and combining different and sometimes strange colors in the bouquets. She was expecting Mike any minute now. He was coming over to hang out after her shift finished. She only had five more minutes of work, then she was free. She heard the bell in the door jingle, and she grinned in excitement.

"Excuse me, miss? I'm looking for my girlfriend, I think she works here. Have you seen her?"

Zoey turned around, trying to keep a straight face. Mike was better at it then she was, usually. "I don't know sir, what does she look like?"

"Oh you know, she's got red hair like a rose, and she's got the prettiest brown eyes. She somehow manages to be more beautiful every time I see her. She's got the cutest smile-"

"Mike, wait!" said Zoey. She just remembered that she had mopped just a few minutes ago, and the floor was still slippery. He took a step forward and slipped. He had to grab the counter to keep from falling.

"Well, anyway, have you seen her?" he asked, clearly embarrassed but trying to salvage the moment.

"She was just telling me earlier how excited she was too see you and how much she's been missing you." Zoey couldn't keep herself from giggling now.

"I think I'll buy her some flowers, I know how much she loves them."

"Hold on, not flowers. I've been around flowers all day, I've got something else in mind."

"What is it?"

"Let's go to the music store, and to the book store."

"As you wish," said Mike as he took a gallant bow. He forgot about the wet floor and slid again, but this time Zoey held out her hand to steady him. She clocked out and then came out from behind the counter.

"Let's go!" she said, and they very carefully walked out of the store. They walked down the street a few blocks to the mall.

They went to the coffee shop in the mall first, and then to the music store. Mike bought a new album for Zoey from one of her favorite bands, making her very happy. She didn't say it out loud, but part of the reason she preferred this gift was because it was cheaper than any bouquet he could have bought from the store, and she didn't want him spending all his money on her. But she hadn't been lying about what she said, she did prefer the new album to the flowers.

After that they went to a discount bookstore. They were both drawn to fantasy and sci-fi, they loved escaping to other worlds. They would take out their favorite books and show them to each other.

"Have you read this one?" asked Mike. "It's about people born with special powers, and you only know them because they have different colored eyes."

"That one's on my reading list. Have you heard of this one? It's just another book of magic and dragons, but I still like it."

"I'm on book four, don't spoil anything."

"I'll do my best."

"Hey, have you read this one? Is it any good?" asked Mike.

"Oh, stay away from that one. I read it a year or two ago thinking it would be a good read, but it's just awful. The story, the characters, everything. Just forget that one even exists."

"Thanks for the warning."

They continued to browse through the books. Whenever they came to a book they had both read and enjoyed, they talked about their favorite characters and plot twists.

"The third book was really sad," said Mike. "I couldn't believe it when her sister died."

"I'm not there yet!" a person yelled from another aisle. "Thanks a lot!"

"Oops," said Mike, and Zoey giggled quietly.

"It was almost as sad as when Snape killed Dumbledore," said Zoey.

"I'm not there yet either!" the same person yelled as he threw a book on the floor. "Why don't you two just write a whole book of spoilers?"

"Oh come on, that's old news!" said Mike as he stomped out of the store.

They tried to keep their spoilers quiet after that. They both bought three new books to read, picked out by each other.

"I'm not so sure about this one, 'The Lightning Thief.' I'm going to picture Lightning's face every time I read it," said Mike.

"Well now you've just ruined one of my favorite book series."

"I'm sorry!"

"I'm joking, just try not to think of Lightning. I promise you'll like it, just like I'm sure I'll like the ones you picked out for me. A living prison, that sounds interesting. And I've read some of John Green's books before, but not his one. I've heard it's good."

"It'll make you cry, trust me."

"What happens?"

"You'll have to read the book to find out," said Mike, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

They took a walk through the park, holding hands and their new books. Mike would sometimes go on walks on his own to clear this head, but it was so much nicer with Zoey. The sun was shining, it was a hot day. They walked for a bit and then sat down in the shade of an oak tree back to back as they both started reading their new books.

"You really know how to spoil your girlfriend, Mike," said Zoey as she turned a page.

On another date, they went to a drive-in movie. The movie playing was the sequel to one of their favorites: Total Warriors 3. Mike paid to get in and Zoey bought the popcorn and candy. She sat in the passenger seat and held his hand as the movie played.

After Total Warriors 3 ended, another action flick came on. They decided to stay and watch it, too. It was older, and incredibly cheesy and poorly made, but they still had fun pointing out the flaws and making fun of it.

"I almost couldn't see the wires on that ship," said Mike. "And I've seen more realistic looking dinosaurs on cereal boxes." They both laughed so hard it made their stomachs hurt.

On the way home, they talked about how good Total Warriors 3 was and how bad the other was.

"I think the new movie is the best in the series, even better than the first," said Mike.

"My favorite is still the second, but the new one is great. I heard they already confirmed another sequel, I'm so excited."

Mike pulled up in her driveway, and he got out to walk her to the door.

"I had a great time, Mike. I can't wait until the DVD comes out and we can watch it again."

"I know, I've already got a poster."

The door opened before they got to it, and they saw the silhouette of her father holding a shotgun pointed at them. "Not another step, boy," he said menacingly.

Mike froze and his eyes widened. Zoey's jaw dropped.

Riley stepped out of the shadows, and in the light the shotgun turned out to be a broom. "I have to clean the porch first, it's filthy."

"Daddy!" said Zoey. He laughed and then went back inside and closed the door. She turned and kissed Mike on the cheek, who was still freaked out. "See you later, Mike."

"Wait a second, Zoey." He looked down at his shoes, trying to muster up the courage for what he was about to do. He was about to take a huge risk, but he had to do it. He looked back up, and saw that she was looking at him expectantly. "Zoey, I… I… we should do that again soon."

"Yeah, we should." Mike kicked himself for chickening out. She had a feeling he wanted to say more, so she took a step back but didn't take her eyes off him. She took another step back, then another, until her hand was on the doorknob. She slowly turned the knob and opened it inch by inch, hardly daring to even blink.

She put one foot inside the door, but he said, "No, no, that's not what I wanted to say. Zoey, I… I love you."

He'd loved her from the moment she'd first accepted his disorder on the island. No, he'd loved her long before that, and it had taken this long to admit it. He internally braced himself, because despite the fact that Zoey clearly liked him, he couldn't get rid of the fear that she didn't feel the same way.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it." She reached down and plucked a rose from her mother's bushes by the door. She pulled off the petals and let them rain down on his head. "Because it just so happens that I love you, too."

She went inside and closed the door, and once it was closed he silently leapt for joy. He didn't know that Zoey saw it through the peephole, and she quietly giggled. He went back to the car, he was on cloud nine.

On another date, the carnival came to Mike's town and they went together. It was after dark, and the night was lit up by thousands of colorful lights. Zoey bought them cotton candy to share, and on his third try he won her a teddy bear by throwing rings on glass bottles.

"Let's go on the roller coaster!" said Zoey after they had finished the cotton candy. She took him by the hand and ran to the ride.

Mike wasn't a big fan of roller coasters, and he clung to Zoey as she threw her arms in the air. After the ride was over, she said, "That was so much fun! I'm sorry you didn't like it, though."

"Oh, I'm okay. If rollercoasters are the worst thing I have to worry about, then I'm doing pretty good. Let's go again."

"I don't want you to go if you don't like it."

"I don't care what I'm doing, as long as I'm with you. Now come on, before the line gets too long."

"You really are my brave knight," she said as she kissed him on the cheek.

They only went on the ride one more time, and then they went into the house of mirrors. The last ride they were going to go on was the tunnel of love, but while they were waiting in line, they got an announcement that the ride had malfunctioned. They were both disappointed, but they went on the ferris wheel instead, and they got a magnificent view of all the lights.

Zoey's favorite holiday was Halloween, because it meant she got to make a costume for it. The year before she had gone as Harley Quinn, this year she made a Princess Leia costume for herself, a Han Solo one for Mike, and a Chewbacca costume for Cameron. She wore Leia's white outfit, and her hair wasn't long enough for the cinnamon bun hairstyle, so she wore a wig. Mike looked very cool in his black vest with his blaster, and Cameron looked adorable as a wookie, Zoey was a wiz with special effects makeup so she made him look like the real deal. There were so many costume ideas she wanted to try out, and Mike was game for all of them.

Zoey hadn't gone trick-or-treating in years, Mike had never had anyone to go with and he had considered himself too old for it after he was adopted anyway, and Cameron had never been allowed out of his bubble, so they were going trick-or-treating. Since this was Mike and Cameron's first time going, they were very excited. Sure, they were a little old for it, but together, they didn't care what anyone else thought. But since teens usually weren't given candy, they were passing Cameron off as the kid they were watching, and he would share the candy he got with them. He was small enough that the fib worked, and he didn't mind. He got to have a new experience with friends, and get candy.

"What a cute kid you've got!" exclaimed one elderly woman they met. "Are you supposed to be Smokey Bear?"

"I'm told this isn't a bear, it's some kind of alien species that resembles bears. I've only seen the first movie, I'm not to the ones with wookies yet. I liked Jar Jar Binks, even if he does only exist to provide comedy relief and has no real purpose in the film."

"What a cutie," she said as she dumped candy into the pouch Zoey had sewn into the costume just for this purpose.

She shut the door, and Mike took one of the pieces of candy. They had collected quite a haul. "Aw yeah, red vines are my favorite!"

"Ooh, Reese's cups!" said Zoey. "Mike, when I said we go together like chocolate and peanut butter, this is what I meant," she said as she popped one in her mouth.

Cameron said, "This has been fantastic! I can't believe people just give candy away to complete strangers for free. I just hope they don't have any razors, my mom made me watch a two hour Halloween safety film. While dry and simplistic, it was more interesting than the three hour one about the dangers of crossing the street."

"I'm glad you're enjoying your very first Halloween, Cam. And don't worry, there are no razors in there, but Mike and I will check if you want," said Zoey. They started walking down the street on the sidewalk, and she asked, "Mike, how do you normally spend Halloween?"

"Buy a lot of candy and stay up late watching scary movies," he replied. "Not too scary, but it is fun to get creeped out on Halloween."

"There's a haunted house I go to each Halloween, it's only gets better each year. We should go to it! It's a lot of fun."

"I'm game," said Mike eagerly.

"I have to say I'm intrigued by domiciles with paranormal activity."

"Then it's settled, we're going to the haunted house!"

They walked down the street; it was full of kids running around getting candy or TP-ing houses. They came across someone in a Darth Vader costume, who said, "Han Solo and Princess Leia, my old foes." The voice sounded nothing like Darth Vader's, but it did sound familiar.

A bunch of kids were watching, so Mike played along and pointed his blaster at him. "You'd better not be taking those kids' candy!"

"Candy powers the force, I'm bringing these children over to the dark side."

"Then we're going to have to take you down!" said Mike.

"Oh, I don't think so." He held out his hands and gripped them, and Mike and Zoey pretended to be choked. Cameron looked at them like they were insane, he had no idea what was going on.

Mike struggled to raise his blaster. He looked to Zoey and said, "I love you."

She replied, "I know."

He fired his blaster at Darth Vader. He cried out and clutched his shoulder and said, "You win! I won't take anyone else's candy! The force is strong with this dude."

He fell to his knees, and the kids all cheered and went back to their trick-or-treating. Darth Vader removed his helmet, and they saw that it was Geoff. Bridgette was standing a ways off dressed as Padmé Amidala, they hadn't noticed her before.

"What just happened?" asked Cameron in confusion.

"Geoff, is that really you? I didn't expect to see you guys here," said Mike.

"I can't believe we ran into three new competitors!" said Bridgette. "It really is a small world. And we have the same themed costumes, I guess great minds do think alike."

"We're going to the haunted house, would you like to come along?" asked Zoey.

"We'd love to, really, but we're on our way to a Halloween party. Geoff's throwing it for our friends from Total Drama. You guys competed, you can come with us if you want."

"No thanks, it should just be classic competitors," said Mike.

"Hold on a minute, I just had the best idea ever!" said Geoff. "What if they had a season where they had both new and old competitors? Then we could all party together."

"That would be great, but since Chris is in prison I doubt there will be any more Total Drama."

"That stinks. Oh well, have fun you guys!"

"You too!"

Mike, Zoey, and Cameron continued on to the haunted house. There were a few other people already there. As they went through the house, they saw mannequins set up committing murders or being murdered. There was a man hanging from the ceiling, and there was a table with an entire family, all stabbed to death. There was blood splatter on the walls, and every few feet something would jump out at them.

"Something grabbed my leg!" said Zoey, and she latched onto Mike's arm.

"Did you hear that?" Cameron squeaked. He leapt into Zoey's arms in fright.

"Let's keep going, we're getting closer to the top," said Mike as he felt a shiver run down his spine.

They went up the creaky stairs, and every other stair made a knife or sword or axe come out and nearly chop their heads off.

When they reached the very top, they saw an empty room with only a rocking chair in it. The ghost of a woman flew at them shrieking like a banshee, her eyes full of fury and her dress splattered with blood. Mike slammed the door closed and they all ran. They didn't stop running until they were outside.

"That was terrifying," said Zoey breathlessly.

"I know. Let's do it again next year," said Mike.

"Part of me wants to do it again, and part of me wants to go back to my bubble. It's going to take an entire year of convincing to get me to go back in there again, I should be ready by next Halloween."

"So, where should we go next? There's the old cemetery, the cornfield, the old caves-"

"Let's go to your house," said Mike and Cameron in unison.

One day, Zoey came over unannounced with a metal box in her hands.

"I just had this great idea and I had to tell you about it, see what you think. Manitoba was talking about his treasure chest the other day, and then last night I saw on the news that they buried a time capsule in a town near mine. I thought that maybe we could make our very own time capsule, unless you think it's dumb…"

"Zoey, that's a great idea! I love it, let's get started right now."

They went up to Mike's room. "I've been saving some things, keepsakes from when we started dating. I brought them over, they'd be perfect for the capsule."

Zoey took some things out of her purse. She took out ticket stubs from movies they'd seen, an album she'd made of their favorite love songs, and newspaper clippings from important dates, like the day they first met, the day they officially started dating, and the day they were going to bury the capsule. She also took the necklace Mike had given her. She didn't want to part with it, but she took the string and put it inside the box. She'd replace it later.

Mike took some of his favorite drawings of her and them together and put them in. They took their favorite pictures of the two of them together and put them in, and then they starting writing little love notes to each other.

"Do you want to read them, or should we wait until we dig it up in a few years?" asked Mike after he wrote one.

"Let's wait, it'll make it more special," said Zoey, grinning. "Hey, write a letter to yourself, too. I'll write one to me, and then when we dig it up in a few years, we'll see how far we've come."

Mike wrote a letter to himself. It was so weird, writing to future Mike, he wasn't sure what to say. He wrote a little something and then put it in the box. They put in a few other keepsakes and then sealed it tight. They went outside, where the sun was going down. Mike dug a small hole, and Zoey carefully put the box in it. He covered it with dirt, and then Mike moved the birdbath by it to mark the spot.

On many nights when they couldn't visit each other, they would talk on the phone or skype for hours, never running out of things to talk about. Mike was so comfortable with Zoey that he could tell her anything and not worry that she would think he was stupid or crazy for thinking such things, and vice versa. As close as he was to his parents, there were some things he couldn't even tell them, but with Zoey he could be an open book. He trusted her with his heart, knowing she would never break it.


	23. Us

One day, Zoey came over to visit Mike at the beginning of winter. She knocked on the door but got no answer. The door was unlocked, so she came in.

"Hey Mike, I let myself in. Where are you?" he wasn't in the living room or the kitchen, so she went up the stairs. His door was closed and locked, and she heard voices coming through it, voices she didn't recognize.

"You did it, it was your fault."

"No, I didn't touch it."

"How did it get broken then?"

"It wasn't me, someone else did it."

"It's not supposed to get broken, this is very bad."

"Can it get fixed?"

"We can't fix it, we're in bad trouble. Now that it's broken, he's going to come for us again."

"What are we going to do?"

"We need to get to the safe room, he can't hurt us there."

The door suddenly opened, and Mike opened the door and walked right past her. She touched his arm, but he let out a shout.

"Mike, Mike, what's wrong?" She had never seen any his alters act this way before. She had done research on DID and she knew it was common for people to have several alters, more than the four she'd met on the island, but it was still unnerving to see them for the first time. She didn't let it show, and instead acted completely calm.

He looked down at her, his eyes full of terror. He said in a frightened childlike voice that didn't belong to Mike, "I have to get out of here, I have to get to the safe room."

"What's the safe room?"

"It's the only safe place I-I can h-hide," he said as he bit his thumb. "It's the o-only place he can't f-find me."

"Who are you hiding from?"

"Him."

"Well, um, we can't go to the safe room right now, but I can keep you safe." This was so strange to her, but she was able to act like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"You can? How?"

"Um, the one you're hiding from is scared of me, he won't hurt you when you're with me."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Zoey, I'm a friend of Mike's."

"Y-you're his friend?"

"Yes, and I'm here to help you," she said with a smile to soothe him.

"Something b-bad is going to happen," he said as he wrung his hands in worry.

"What do you mean?"

"Th-The scary one is coming b-back, his chains aren't working, soon th-they're going to br-break and he'll, he'll be free again! He's hurt us b-before, like D-Daddy did."

"You mean Jack?"

"No! Daddy! He h-hurt me, he hurt a-all of us, but the sc-scary one is worse, so much worse." He grabbed her hands and held on so tight that it hurt, but she didn't mention it. His breathing was rapid and shallow, and he was on the edge of hysteria. "You have to keep me safe, protect me from him! I don't want to die, I don't want him to hurt me, you have to help me!"

"I will, I'll help you," she said gently, hiding her concern. She reached into her purse and took out a bag of sugar cookies she'd bought on the way here for her and Mike to share. She handed one to him and said, "Would you like one of these? It'll make you feel better."

He reluctantly accepted one and nibbled it, but then he dropped it on the floor and buried his face in his hands.

"Don't be scared, everything's going to be all right."

"Y-you promise you'll keep me s-safe?"

"Yes, I will."

He breathed a sigh of relief, he was beginning to calm down. "Could you keep something else safe, too?"

"What would you like me to keep safe?"

"I want to tell you a secret, it's about Michael." He looked at her very seriously. He was still holding her hands tightly, but they loosened a little.

"What is it?"

"One time, Manitoba tried to run away, but Daddy thought Michael did it so he got really mad at him. He hurt Manitoba, and he ripped up Michael's drawings. He loves his drawings, and he was sad when they got ruined."

He went inside Mike's room to the bedside table, and Zoey followed him in. He opened the drawer and took out Mike's drawings. "Miss Aria says that Svetlana and Vito have Michael's athletic skills. I don't know what that means, but it must be important because they have them for safekeeping."

"Miss Aria, is that Mike's doctor?"

"Oh no, doctors are mean, Miss Aria is nice. She keeps us safe and takes care of us. But can you keep Michael's drawings safe like Svetlana and Vito? Can you keep Daddy from finding them and tearing them up again?"

He handed her the drawings, and she said, "Of course I will, I won't let anything bad happen to them. They're safe with me."

He smiled a little, starting to cheer up. "You're really pretty."

She returned his smile and said, "Thank you, that's very sweet of you to say."

"I like you, I want to show you something." He ran over to Mike's closet and took out a teddy bear. She had seen it before, and she'd assumed it was a cherished toy from Mike's childhood. But when she'd asked about it, he explained that he had it because it helped calm some of his personalities, like this one.

He hugged the bear lovingly and then held it out to her. "You hold him."

She took the bear and hugged it. "Thanks for showing me this."

"Since you're Mike's friend, can you be my friend, too?"

"I'd love to be your friend."

"Yay!" he said grinning ear to ear. "You can keep teddy, you can take him home with you."

"That's so kind of you, but I can't take your teddy bear," she said as she tried to give it back. He pushed it back to her.

"But I want you to keep him," he said, looking like he might cry.

"How about this: I'll keep him, but he'll still live here with you. Is that okay?"

"Okay!" he said, brightening back up.

"I wish I had something to give you in return for such a thoughtful gift."

"No, don't ever give me anything. When I get good things, it always means something bad is coming. But you let my bear stay here with me… and you gave me a cookie… that means something bad is coming." He curled up and hid his face. "You're going to hurt me."

"No, we're friends, remember?" she said as she put a hand on his shoulder. "Friends don't hurt each other."

"You promise?" He looked back up at her, tears streaks on his face.

"Yes, I promise." She gave him a gentle hug. He stiffened, but then relaxed. "Now, you look tired, why don't we go lie down in bed?"

"Okay," he agreed quietly. She got him to stand up, and she noticed that he was walking with a limp, favoring his right leg. He started biting his thumb again.

"It's okay Mike, you're going to be fine."

She got him to lie down, and she set down his drawings on the bedside table and sat down beside him. He whimpered, but then fell silent. She took his hands, which were freezing, and rubbed them to try to warm them up.

He started shaking, and he gritted his teeth. His breathing was labored, and his face was ashen. This was the first time Zoey had ever seen him like this, and he hadn't told her about these attacks, so she wasn't sure what was going on. She was terrified, she didn't know what was going on or why. She was afraid something was very wrong with him, she considered getting him his medication, but she wasn't sure which one to give him. She would ask Holly about it later. Surely she would know what to do in these situations, she could tell her what she could do to help.

She gently said, "Mike, it's me, Zoey. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. You're safe, you don't need to be afraid. I love you Mike, please come back to me, please come back."

His breathing started returning to normal nearly thirty minutes later. He seemed to wake up and notice Zoey. "When did you get here? Why are we in bed?" Realization swept over him and he gasped in horror. "Oh no, I was in one of my anxiety attacks, wasn't I?"

She described what had happened, and the alter she had spoken to. He explained to her about his attacks and the half-formed alters.

"What did it mean by 'the scary one?'"

"I have no idea, from what my parents and my doctor tell me, nothing they say ever makes much sense. Oh Zoey, I'm so sorry. I never wanted you to see me this way, oh what you must think of me…" He was so humiliated, why did this have to happen?

"Mike, I'm not upset. I know you have struggles and I want to help, I don't think any less of you after seeing you this way. You're a fighter, and I'm fighting right here beside you. Now, is there any medication you should take? Are you hungry or thirsty? Would you like another blanket?"

"Zoey, you don't have to baby me." He tried to stand to prove his point, but standing made him dizzy and he nearly fell. She helped him back into bed. He groaned in defeat and said, "I'm not hungry, but could you get me two pills from the tallest pill bottle in the medicine cabinet in my bathroom and some water?"

"Coming right up."

She brought him his pills and he took them and drank the water. She got into bed beside him and he put his arms around her. His hands were still freezing, so she rubbed them to warm them up.

"Just so you know Mike, there's nothing shameful about needing help."

"But it shouldn't be the girlfriend's job to take care of her boyfriend like this."

"That would only be true if you weren't trying to do better. I know you're doing everything you can to manage your condition, so I don't mind supporting you when you're having trouble. I'm part of your support team, and you're part of mine. I might not have a mental disorder, but your support in my endeavors and everything I do means a lot."

"How can you be so calm about all this? Aren't you even a little freaked out?"

"I love you Mike, not just when it's easy, all the time. But Mike, I would have appreciated it if you had told me about these attacks before. I could have helped more if I'd known what to do."

"It's not a big deal, and… it's embarrassing. And I… I was thinking that maybe now that I have you, I wouldn't have them anymore, but I was obviously wrong. I didn't expect it to work, I was just kind of hoping."

"Oh Mike, I understand why you thought that, but it doesn't work that way."

"I know. I know it better than anyone."

"What causes them?"

"Stress, especially when it's built up."

"What's been stressing you out?"

"Nothing, I'm great."

"What I just saw was not nothing. What are you stressing over?"

He sighed and looked away. "I can't find work."

"You're looking for a job?"

He nodded. "Before I went on Total Drama, I had a talk with my doctor about it, and she said that she thinks I'm ready to work a job. I would have tried to find a job anyway, but now that we're dating, I need to find one. I want to be able to buy you nice things, and if we were to ever… you know… I would need to be able to support you. I keep putting in applications to different places, I've tried the grocery store, the movie theater, the coffee shop, pretty much everywhere, no one will hire me. The last place I tried was at the DVD store, I didn't include my disorder on the application because I knew if I did they would immediately turn me down. I got an interview, and they hired me. Today was my first day, I was doing well but then Manitoba came out and made a sexist remark to one of the customers and they got into an argument, and I was fired right then and there. I didn't tell anyone I'd gotten the job because I didn't expect it to last long, anyway. I'm tired of coming home with only more failures to report. What if I never get a job and I can't give you what you deserve? Or if I can't even support myself. I technically qualify for disability benefits, but I don't want to have to rely on that, that would be admitting that I can't get by on my own. That would only be used as a last resort, maybe not even then. I want to carry my own weight and make my own money. If we ever… I'd be a terrible husband."

He looked almost distraught, and then he gasped. "Oh great, you're here. Just who I wanted to see."

His voice was high pitched, it sounded like Svetlana minus the accent. He held his back straight with perfect posture, and he held his chin up high.

"You don't seem to like me very much, even though we've never met," said Zoey.

"The others talk about you, and I've decided that I don't like you," she said as he looked at her nails. "Why are you even here, anyway? Can't you see you're not wanted?"

"I came to visit Mike, but he's not here right now."

"I don't like Michael, either. I have several reasons for not liking him, but mostly it's because he always does what he's told."

"What do you mean?"

"I live in a very big house with many servants and a big garden in the back. I'm very rich, and because I'm rich, I'm very proper. I always keep my back straight and my chin up, and I never where the same clothes twice. Also, because I am rich and proper and dignified, there are many rules I am supposed to follow. My manners are impeccable, I'm not supposed to talk out of turn or speak my mind, and I must never run in the house or play in the mud. But I don't follow those rules, I hate them and I refuse to obey them! I'm twelve now and I will do whatever I want!"

She got out of bed and ran over to Mike's dresser. She took one of Svetlana's trophies and said, "I'm not supposed to break things, but I'll do it if I want to!"

Zoey rushed over and grabbed the trophy out of her hand. She tried to fight back but she wasn't very strong. Zoey put it back, but the alter ran over to Mike's collection of his favorite DVDs. She opened one of the boxes and broke the disc in half. She grabbed the picture of Mike with his parents off the bedside table and threw it at the wall, shattering the glass.

"Stop it! Stop it right now! said Zoey sternly.

"You can't tell me what to do!" she screamed at her. She pushed her out of the way and grabbed Mike's drawings off the dresser, about to tear them to shreds. There was no way she was going to let that happen, especially after she'd just promised that other alter she'd keep them safe.

Zoey grabbed her wrists so she couldn't rip them apart. Her eyes filled fury; she dropped the drawings onto the floor and stepped on them, and she tried to pull her hands out of Zoey's grasp.

If she'd had Vito's strength it would have been no problem, but she couldn't free herself. She roared in rage, but Zoey was determined to keep her from ruining anything else.

"You can't stop me," she growled, but then she stopped and blinked, and Mike came back, looking very confused. He saw that Zoey was holding his wrists, holding him in place.

"How long has it been? Oh God, were you fighting one of my alters? Did they hurt you? Zoey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, and it's just been a few minutes. The alter that was out didn't hurt me, she didn't even try, she just wanted to destroy your stuff. She succeeded a little, she broke a couple things, but they can be replaced easily. I've not seen her before, she was an unruly preteen. She was talking about how she's not allowed to do anything but she does it anyway. That's why she was trying to break everything, to break the rules. I stopped her from breaking anything else."

"I wish I could deal with stress without someone else taking over," he mumbled as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He put his arms around himself, feeling miserable. "I'm a terrible boyfriend, I can't treat you like you deserve."

"Mike, I'm not asking you to support me or buy me things," she said as she sat down beside him. "If you're having trouble finding a job, that's okay, a lot of people have trouble finding work. It'll take more time, but you'll get a job eventually. But even if you can't, it's okay. Do you think I'll think less of you for it?"

He said nothing, which was as good as a yes.

"I know you want to go out there and prove yourself, but it's not healthy to get so worked up over it."

"Everyone's always saying that," he said, feeling irritated and frustrated. "It's not healthy to get so stressed, it's not good for you. Everyone else can deal with stress and it's not a big deal, but with me everyone treats me like I'm made of glass, they think I'm delicate and that if I'm not careful I'll break. I'm fine Zoey, I'm not fragile, so don't worry about me."

"I know you're not fragile, but your mental and physical health is important to me, so I'm going to fuss over you whether you like it or not." She put her fingers in his hair and caressed his face. "I know that I overreact sometimes, like when you had that cough and I treated it like the bubonic plague, but right now I'm not. Mike, bottling up your stress and your worries doesn't help you and it doesn't help me. I know you think it makes you look weak to talk about it when you need to let out your feelings, but I want you to. When you keep things from me, it hurts you and therefore, it hurts me. Don't keep things like this from me, if we talk through stuff like this you won't get so stressed and these attacks won't happen as often. We'll understand each other better and you'll feel better, it's a win-win."

"I know you don't need me to support you and I know you don't need nice things, but I really want to do it anyway, to show how I feel about you."

"Don't show me with gifts, show me in other ways. You can start by promising to tell me when something is bothering you."

"I promise." It was a promise he would try to keep.

"Good, now let's lay down."

Mike didn't argue, and he did feel better lying down. She got beside him in bed under the blanket. He put his arms around her, and the feel of her pressed closely against him was soothing.

"Zoey, I know this is a random question, but… did you ever have any boyfriends before me? I'm not jealous, just a little curious."

"No, the only guys around were all jocks who could barely string two words together to form a sentence. One of them asked me out a few times, but I could never date a jock. There was also another guy I met at an indie concert. After the concert ended he kept telling me sappy poetry and he gave me his number. I considered calling him a few times, but I never got around to it. He could have been a decent boyfriend, but I just wasn't very interested. What about you? Any past girlfriends I should beware of?"

"Not really, but there was one girl, I should thank her, really. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been driven to sign up for Total Drama and I never would have met you."

He told her about Lucy, about how he'd had a crush on her for years and she had used it to take advantage of him. He told her about the prank, and he also mentioned what Vito had done at the party, but he told this very hesitantly.

"I can't believe anyone could do such a thing. That's the most horrible thing I've ever heard."

"The video got really popular after I went on Total Drama. Most of the people who comment are the ones who say I'm crazy and should be locked up, but there are some people who defend me. I just hope I never meet anyone like Lucy ever again."

"How were you able to trust me after that happened? You don't seem at all cynical like anyone else would be."

"I was tempted to put distance between us at first because I was worried that you might end up being like Lucy. But I decided early on that you weren't Lucy and to judge you based on her would be unfair. If I had, we never would have had this. I try not to judge people based on other people who have done wrong things in the past. I guess it's because people have always judged me before getting to know me, and since I know how that feels, I don't want to do it to other people. It's never been easy, but I've just been so lonely in the past that I don't want to hold grudges. There are times when I hate Lucy and all the people at school and the tabloids, but other times I accept that I'm never going to be liked by everyone and to expect it would be ridiculous. I have you, Cameron, my family, and my other friends from Total Drama. I don't need their approval, and so I'm content."

"I'll try to do the same, but if I ever meet this Lucy, she's going to enter a world of hurt."

"That's one of the things I love about you. If Lucy and I had ever dated, I would have had to fight all the time to keep my personalities contained just to keep her from ditching me. I would have been afraid all the time that she would leave because I couldn't meet her standards. Not just with my disorder, but I don't think she would have liked just Mike very much, either. But with you, I don't have to be afraid. I want to be the best I can be for you, but I know that I can be myself around you and you won't hold it against me."

"I'll admit you're a handful and a huge dork, but I think you're worth it," said Zoey with a smile.

"Zoey, there's something else I wanted to tell you. Remember when you asked about my life before I was adopted and I just played it off?"

"You don't have to tell me about it if it's too painful."

"But that's just it, I don't know if it was painful. I mean, I know it must have been bad because some of my alters talk about it, but I can't remember any of it. I don't know who my parents were, where I used to live, my last name, who I was before they found me, nothing. Over half my life is missing, and I have no idea why. I've learned that most people with MPD don't remember parts of their childhood, or even that they were abused, but to not be able to remember any of my past at all? I've done a lot of research, but I've never heard of anyone else missing their entire first decade of life because of MPD. My main personalities know some things, but I don't know how much. If you ask them questions about my past they'll flat-out refuse to tell you anything, but every now and again they'll mention something about it in passing. It's always small things that don't help very much. My psychiatrist has tried memory techniques with me several times, we've even tried hypnotism, nothing works. She's baffled by it. She and my parents think that maybe it's a good thing, because to have developed this disorder I must have been through something horrible, and maybe they're right, but I still want to know. This is my life we're talking about, I want to know what happened to me, even if it would do me more harm than good."

"I have to side with them on this one, I don't want to see you hurt. If not remembering protects you, then I don't want you to remember. Besides, you don't need to know what your life before was like, because look at your life now. You were taken in by amazing people, not many people would be willing to deal with a child that presents such problems. But they did, and they're still loving and happy and they've always got your back. You've got great friends, and you've got me. Don't live in the past, stay in the now and look to the future."

"You're right. You're always right."

"I'm not always right, but I do have a good track record."

Gradually, Mike got well enough for them to go downstairs and sit on the couch.

"I don't think I could live without you, Zoey," he said after they had sat down.

"Of course you could, just like I could live without you."

Mike felt confused and hurt. "But I thought we loved each other."

"We do, but we don't need each other to live our lives. You're an awesome actor, and you'll only get better with time, with or without me. If I had never met you, I could still design clothes and become a teacher. Your life doesn't hinge on mine, and vice-versa."

"But my life has been so much better since I met you, I don't ever want to be apart from you."

"That's not what I'm saying. Wait just a second."

Zoey put a disk in the DVD player. It was a recording of one of Mike's plays, where he played Friedrich in his school's _The Sound of Music_ play the year before.

"You see how good you are in this? You have a great voice, even though you're like me and you're self-conscious about it. But it's not just singing, you're very believable when you act, and in this play you only had to miss one showing. You're going to go on to do great things, and so am I. We could both do fine on our own, we don't need each other to be happy. Here's the thing though, we might not need each other, but we both would be much happier together than we would be apart. It's not need, it's a choice. Don't base all your self-worth on me, just Mike is a wonderful thing. Do you see what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, I think so. I guess I could be fine on my own, but my world is a much darker place without you in it. Do I make you happy, Zoey?"

"Would I still be here if you didn't? I love you Mike, so much. That's something else I wanted to talk to you about. You think I'm perfect, when really I'm not. I make mistakes just like every other human being. I burned the dessert when I cooked for you the first time, I accidentally shrunk a dress in the dryer that I worked months on, and you had to come get me last week when I locked my keys in my car. I have my faults, and seeing me as imperfect doesn't mean you love me any less, it just means the way you love me has changed. You know, there are times when I forget you're not perfect."

"How could you ever possibly forget that?"

"When you came to my rescue last week, you were like my knight in shining armor. There were some hobos that were giving me weird looks, and I was about to be late to a college interview. There are times when I honestly forget you have a disorder, and when I forget you aren't Prince Charming. We're leaving the honeymoon phase, but that's okay. I don't want you to think that love is a magic cure for everything like in fairytales."

"I like to pretend it is, I wish it was, but I know it's not. I know our love can't cure me or make me perfect, but I'm still glad we have it. I'm glad I found you, I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

"And I'm the luckiest girl," she said with a grin.

Mike wasn't totally convinced of what she said. If there ever came a time when he didn't need her in his life, or if she stopped being a perfect angel in his eyes, wouldn't that mean that he didn't love her anymore? He couldn't even stand the thought. It was a lesson that couldn't be learned in one day, it would take more time for him to get it.

They continued watching the play. Normally Mike didn't like to watch his past work, he would pick apart every flaw, real or imagined. But what Zoey said made him feel more confident about it, and he was able to enjoy his performance without stressing over every detail. He had to admit, he wasn't bad.

Mike laid down on the couch and Zoey held his head in her lap. She played with his hair and massaged his scalp, sending tingles down his back and putting a happy grin on his face. At the halfway point in the play, Zoey got up to use the bathroom, but on her way Jack and Holly came home with groceries.

"Hey, it's my favorite Zoey!" said Jack as he gave her a hug.

"Hey, it's my favorite Jack!"

"Hi Zoey, how are you?" asked Holly with a smile.

"I'm good. Mike had an anxiety attack when I got here, but-"

"I'll get his medication," said Jack as he hurriedly set down the bags of groceries.

"Where is he, Zoey?" asked Holly, fierce determination in her eyes.

"No, no, he's fine! We got through it and he's fine now. He's on the couch if you want to see for yourself."

They peeked in to verify this, and then they turned back to Zoey, staring at her like they were seeing her for the very first time. "How long did it last?"

"I don't know how long he was in it before I arrived, but he was over it a half hour later."

"How did you do that?" asked Holly incredulously. "It normally takes at least two hours for him to recover, and we weren't gone all that long."

"I don't know, I just held onto him until he was able to calm down."

"She's got the magic touch," said Jack. "Can you bottle that?"

"Can we keep you?" asked Holly, and Zoey laughed.

A little while later, Cameron called and while Mike was talking to him on the phone, Zoey got an idea. She went into the kitchen and found post-it notes in a drawer. She went up to Mike's room and started writing down all the things she loved about him.

_I love your cute sticky-upy hair and your silly gap-toothed grin._ She put this one on his bathroom mirror.

_I love the feel of your hands when they're holding mine, they're so soft and gentle._ She put this one on the door.

_I love how strong you are, and how you never stop fighting and refuse to let your struggles get you down. _She put this one on top of his pillbox.

_I love your chocolate brown eyes, and how they light up when you smile._ She put this one on his bedside table.

_I love how you read me better than anyone else and you're always there when I need it. You can tell when I'm sad or upset, even when I try to hide it, and you make it your mission to fix it in any way you can. You care so much, not just about me, but about everyone._ She put this one on a stack of books by the wall.

_I love how you make me laugh, and how just thinking about you makes me grin like an idiot._ She put this one on his dresser.

She put up several of these all over his room, and lastly, she put one on his pillow. _Most of all, I love you._

She left to go home before he could see it. The very next night, Zoey was undoing her pigtails and brushing her hair, getting ready for bed. Just as she was about to turn off her lamp, she heard tapping at her window. She went over to see what it was, expecting it to be the wind making the tree branches tap it, but when she pushed back the curtains, she was surprised to see Mike sitting in the branch of her tree.

"Mike, what are you doing here?" she asked. She felt self-conscious in her red nightgown.

"Can I come in?"

She opened the window and he came inside. He was wearing the suit she had made just for him. He greeted her with a gallant bow and he took her hand and kissed it. He took her in his arms and began to sing to her.

"I am thinking it's a sign,

That the freckles in our eyes,

Are mirror images and when we kiss,

They're perfectly aligned."

She gasped, he was serenading her with _Such Great Heights_, her all-time favorite song. He smiled and they slowly danced together.

"And I have to speculate,

That God himself did make us,

Into corresponding shapes,

Like puzzle pieces from the clay."

"You're such a hopeless romantic," she giggled, and his smile widened. It was hard to believe that the suave and debonair man serenading and dancing with her was actually her dumb goofy boyfriend in disguise.

"And true it may seem like a stretch,

But it's thoughts like this that catch,

My troubled head when you're away,

When I am missing you to death.

When you are out there on the road,

For several weeks of shows,

And when you scan the radio,

I hope this song will guide you home.

They will see us waving from such great heights,

Come down now, they'll say,

But everything looks perfect from far away.

Come down now but we'll stay,

I've tried my best to leave,

This all on your machine,

But the persistent beat,

It sounded thin upon listening.

And that frankly will not fly,

You'll hear the shrillest highs,

And lowest lows with the windows down,

When this is guiding you home."

Zoey joined in with him on the last verse.

"They will see us waving from such great heights,

Come down now, they'll say,

But everything looks perfect from far away,

Come down now, but we'll stay."

Zoey started to cry.

"What's wrong Zoey, did I do it wrong?" he asked, alarmed.

She put her arms around his neck and melted in the warmth of his body. "No, it was perfect. I'm just so touched it's making me tear up. That was the most romantic thing anyone has ever done or ever will do."

"I remembered that that's your favorite song, and after everything you did for me yesterday, I had to do something romantic in return. I loved those notes, I put most of them in a box to keep, but I left my favorites hanging. Maybe what you said yesterday is true, maybe I don't need you. But you're all I ever wanted and more than I ever hoped for. You're my dream come true."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, and he instinctively pulled away and took a step back. He was so shocked, this was his very first real kiss. He had kissed girls before, but that was acting, those kisses belonged to fictional characters. This kiss belonged to him, and it was amazing. All brain function ceased, he couldn't think about anything but the way her lips felt on his. He hadn't expected a kiss, and so he hadn't prepared himself for it. But after a second a happy grin spread across his face, and he stared down at her in wonderment.

"You're such a big dork." She reached up and kissed him again, and this time, he didn't pull away. He leaned down so she wouldn't have to strain to reach him, and he tentatively kissed her back, hoping he was doing it right. Zoey broke off the kiss for just a second to say, "But it's okay, you're my dork."

They stayed in each other's embrace for a long time, kissing like there was no tomorrow. Mike didn't feel so self-conscious after a few kisses, but Zoey could feel him smiling with each one. She maneuvered them to her bed and they sat down. She continued kissing him as she put her fingers up his shirt, careful to not remove it lest Vito come out and spoil the moment. She ran her fingers up and down his abs, and he ran his fingers through her hair. Neither of them had ever been so close to another person, they'd never known what it was like to love and trust someone enough for this. He was very inexperienced, they both were, but that little moment together felt like an infinity in heaven. Before this, Mike never would have even considered going all the way with her, at least not before they were married, but he was so caught up in the moment he could think of nothing else. But then her father interrupted them.

He knocked on the door, and they bumped their heads. It startled Mike so bad that he had to cover his mouth to keep from crying out.

"Goodnight, pumpkin. See you in the morning."

Zoey was flustered and embarrassed, but she managed to squeak out, "Goodnight Daddy, love you."

They rubbed their sore heads as they listened for his footsteps to walk away from her door, and then Mike whispered, "Does he have some kind of internal alarm that goes off to let him know when a boy is in his daughter's room?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." Zoey took his hands in hers, and just took a while to study them. Mike noted how soft her hands were, how good they felt holding his. Zoey felt two scars on his wrists that worried her, and she thought about asking him about them, but then decided against it. He would tell her one day when he was ready, and she would be patient until then.

Eventually Mike had to leave. Her father might have given them his blessing, but he would kill him if he caught him sleeping with her. It was a long drive home, but the trip had been more than worth it. It took Zoey forever to get to sleep that night, her heart kept swooning long after he left. She fell asleep singing the lyrics to that song. She had done it many times before, but now when she sang it she could only think of Mike.

For another date, they were invited to Dakota's house to have a double date with her and Sam. They would be playing _Super Smash Bros. Brawl_ together while eating cheese puffs. Dakota was still a mutant, but her father had the money to buy custom made items for her to use, including a giant controller.

"Come on Link, what are you doing? Are you even trying to win?" Mike yelled at his character after he accidentally made him run off the side of the platform and kill himself.

"Mike, Link isn't controlling himself, you know," Zoey giggled.

"You clearly have no idea how video games work," said Mike, grinning.

"Time's almost up and I'm losing!" said Sam. "I'm the video game master here, I can't lose!"

"Sam win every game, now it our turn," said Dakota as she made Princess Peach knock out Mario.

Their game started out friendly, but it quickly turned into a fight to the death.

"No Zoey, have mercy!" said Mike as she killed his character.

"Yes! Dakota got invincibility! Prepare to die Zelda, there's only one princess here!"

"I'm sorry my fair maiden, but our love cannot be!" said Sam as he killed Peach.

"Don't kill him too hard!" said Zoey as Mike used his final smash move to eliminate Sam.

They played until their fingers were sore and they were too tired to continue. Most of the cheese puffs were on the floor, having been thrown at the TV screen in frustration. Mike and Zoey left the house, but not before challenging Sam and Dakota to a rematch on their next double date.

One night, there was a storm raging outside and there was no power. Cameron had come over to visit, and now they were all sitting at the kitchen table at Mike's house playing board games by candlelight. They each had a piece of paper taped to their foreheads with a name, and they had to guess who they were.

"Am I woman?" Zoey asked.

"Nope," Mike replied. "Am I a woman?"

"Yes," said Cameron.

"Am I pretty?"

"I'm sure you think you are."

"That doesn't help."

"No, you're not. Okay, my turn. Am I male?"

"Yes," said Zoey.

"Am I a bad person?"

"About as bad as they come."

"Am I good-looking?"

"Yes, you were blessed in the looks department."

"Am I important?"

"That's not really the word I'd use for it, but yeah, sure."

"Am I Moriarty?"

"Nope, good guess though. Okay Mike, so I'm a dude. Do I have any special talents?"

"One of the best."

"Am I still alive today?"

"Some people think you are, but no."

"Am I Santa Clause?"

"No, sorry. So, I'm a lady and I'm not attractive. Am I a fictional character?"

"Yup."

"Am I Umbridge?"

"Nope, wrong. Okay, so I'm bad, good-looking, and important. Am I a real person?"

"Yes."

"Am I… Chris McLean?"

"Yes! You got it!" said Zoey.

"Wow Cam, you're really good at this game," said Mike as he high-fived him.

"It was just a lucky guess. Now you two go head to head to determine who wins second place."

"Was I a president?" asked Zoey.

"No. Am I from a book?"

"Nope. Do I play a musical instrument?"

"Yes."

"Am I good singer?"

"A great one."

"I know! I'm Elvis Pressley!"

"You got it! Now, let's see who I am." Mike took the paper from his forehead and read it. "I'm Madea. That was my next guess!"

"Let's play again!" said Zoey, and they all started writing down new names for each other.

When springtime rolled around, Zoey asked Mike to the prom at her school. They were on the phone, staying up late to talk to each other.

"It'll be so much fun! We get to dress up and dance and spend the night together."

"I'm not sure, I mean, I'd be dancing in front of… people," said Mike self-consciously. "It's fine when I'm in a play, but out there it'll be just me, with everyone staring at me."

"I've seen you dance, you're great at it. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Not only that, but… I know you'd never do anything to humiliate me, but I can't help but remember what happened the last time a girl asked me to a dance."

"Oh Mike, I forgot. But you can't let that get you down, and like you said, I would never do that to you. I'm proud of you and I want to show you off, I want to hang out and have fun with my boyfriend. Will you please go with me? I love dancing, but I've had to go to all the school dances alone. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to this time..."

"Are you trying to guilt me?"

"Only a little. I'm making sad puppy-dog eyes, just so you know."

Mike pictured her with sad puppy-dog eyes, and that was all it took, he couldn't possibly say no to that. "All right, but only because I love seeing you in cute dresses."

"You're the best, Mike!" she said, making him grin.

A few weeks later, Zoey came over to Mike's house with her dress. She had asked Holly to do her hair, makeup, and nails for the dance.

"You can't see Zoey until I've finished with her, so you two have to leave until I text you and tell you to come back," said Holly. "Coming back any sooner is punishable by death."

"Do we have to leave?" asked Mike.

"Why don't you two go up to our room and Mike and I will stay down here in the living room."

"Out of my house, boys."

Jack and Mike left the house and decided to go bowling.

"I'm really nervous, I've never danced in front of other people before that wasn't acting," said Mike as Jack rolled his ball, knocking over four pins.

"Pretend that you and Zoey are the only ones in the room."

"Have you and Mom ever been dancing?"

"No, it was never really our thing."

"So how do you know that ignoring everyone else will work?"

"I figured it was better advice than telling you to imagine everyone in their underwear. You'll do fine, and even if you don't, you'll still have a beautiful girl on your arm. A girl that you have made very happy by taking her to the dance, and will reward you with kisses."

"That's another thing, we've never kissed in public, is there a wrong way to do it? Or what if she expects me to kiss her and I don't realize it? I don't want to kiss her if she doesn't want it, but how will I ever know? Unless I ask, but that's weird."

"If Zoey wants a kiss, I think she'll take it. Don't worry about it, no one's going to be watching you at the dance, they'll be too busy dancing themselves. Just have fun with your girlfriend, that's all Zoey wants to do."

A couple hours later, they got a text from Holly saying that Zoey was ready. They came home, and as Mike was going up to the door he felt nervous, even though he kept telling himself he had no reason to be. This was his own house, and Zoey would never prank him like Lucy did.

Thinking of Lucy depressed him, but as he opened the door, Zoey threw herself at him and kissed him. He immediately became cheerful again, how could he stay depressed when he had a girl like Zoey?

She released him after a few seconds and grinned up at him. Her hair was down, and she was wearing a long, strapless turquoise dress. She wore diamond earrings, and she had in a diamond hairband. Her fingernails matched her dress, and the makeup made her look stunning, although Mike thought she was just as gorgeous without it. He was blown away.

"You're so beautiful," he said in awe.

"Go get dressed, it's nearly time to leave," she said eagerly.

He ran up the stairs and put on the suit Zoey made him, a black suit over a red shirt. He went back downstairs, and he felt very inadequate in her presence.

"Look at you! You're dashing in that suit. You're going to be the hottest guy there!" said Zoey. "Thanks for helping me get ready, Holly!"

She took him by the hand and led him to the car. He drove them to the school and they went inside. No music was playing yet, people were meeting up with friends and getting pictures taken together. Someone snapped a picture of the two of them together, and the flash made them blink.

"It's our very own celebrity couple!" said the girl as she moved on to take more pictures of others.

The first song started, a fast pop song, and Zoey led Mike out onto the dance floor. She started dancing, and for a few seconds he hesitated, but then got over his insecurities and started dancing with her. By the end of it, they were both smiling and laughing and having a blast.

After the second song ended, a huge guy shoved Mike away from Zoey. He was all muscle, and he was a very good-looking guy.

"Ace! What is wrong with you?" asked Zoey.

"Why are you with him?" he demanded. "Zoey, you're supposed to be with me!"

"I'm sorry Ace, but I don't like you that way."

"Leave her alone," said Mike. He had faced so many guys like this in school, though never over a girl before. He was always the loser in those confrontations, except when Vito dealt with it. He really didn't want to challenge this guy, but he wasn't going to just sit by and let him harass Zoey.

"I'll prove my feelings to you by beating up your wimp of a boyfriend!"

He swung a right hook at Mike, but he dodged just in time. Even if Mike stood a chance against him, he didn't want to fight him. He kept moving out the way of his punches.

"Come on, fight me, Tiny Tim!" he yelled at him.

"This is stupid and pointless!" Mike yelled back. "Zoey isn't a prize to fight over, she's a person and she makes her own decisions! She doesn't want to be with you, so respect her and leave her alone!"

"You wouldn't be saying that if you were in my place!" he roared.

He was about to try socking Mike again, when Zoey nailed him right in the groin with her heeled shoe. He dropped to his knees, and Zoey said, "Ace, I said no."

She took Mike by the hand and led him to one of the tables. He was seething with rage. "I'm so sorry about that, Mike. He's had a crush on me for a year or two now, and he's not very happy about our relationship, as you saw. Thanks for sticking up for me back there."

"Don't apologize, you didn't do anything wrong. It just made me so angry, seeing him treat you like that. And I couldn't even defend you. He could have grabbed you and done whatever he wanted, and I couldn't have stopped him."

"You don't have to be the biggest or strongest to protect me, you've got something Ace has never had: a brain. Intelligence goes a long way, it's much more important than muscle, in my humblest opinion. Now come on, don't stay mad. Let's have a good time."

Mike calmed down, and he let her lead him back onto the dance floor. Most of the songs being played were fast-paced pop songs, not Zoey's genre and not very romantic. But the next song was a slow, romantic one. Mike held Zoey close, he put his hand on her waist and she rested her head on his shoulder. Ace gave them no more trouble. Despite what had happened, Mike enjoyed the dance very much and was glad he had agreed to come.

After the song ended, Mike and Zoey went outside and stood by the fence by the football field. The sky was completely devoid of stars and the moon that night. Mike held Zoey's hand, and they stood silently for a while, thinking.

The music started back up, and Mike said, "You want to go back in?"

"Only if you want to."

"I'm having way more fun than I thought I would. Thanks for dragging me out here."

"My pleasure," she said as she kissed him.

On another of their dates, they went on a day-long road trip to nowhere in particular. They both wore sunglasses and the wind blew their hair back in Zoey's dad's red convertible. They drove through mountains and past lakes and rivers. They took turns driving and taking pictures.

They drove aimlessly until they reached the end of the road at sea. The smell of the salty air was invigorating, and the sound of waves crashing was like a symphony.

They sat on the sand. Zoey rested her head on his shoulder, and he put his arm around her. They talked intermittently. If they had something they wanted to talk about they would talk about it, but they didn't feel the need to fill the silence with pointless chatter. They talked about everything, and nothing, blissfully happy just to be near each other. When they were silent they enjoyed the sound of the waves and of sea gulls cawing, and when they spoke they enjoyed the sound of each other's voice.

When they drove back to Mike's house, they didn't go back inside. Zoey was supposed to go home, but they wanted to stretch out their time as long as possible. They laid down together in the hammock on Mike's porch, talking about their dreams and losing track of the time. Mike played with her hair, and the steady rise and fall of his chest lulled her to sleep. Holly caught them outside together after they had both fallen asleep in each other's arms, and she called Zoey's parents to let them know she would be staying the night. She assured them that she was sleeping on the couch and that she was fine. She then brought out a blanket and draped it over them so they wouldn't get cold. She noticed that Mike was talking in his sleep as always, but it was only a quiet mumble. His sleeping wasn't fitful, either, for once he was getting a restful sleep. As if Holly hadn't already liked Zoey, this sealed the deal. The next morning, as the sun was rising behind them, Holly took a picture while they were still asleep.

One day, Mike got a call from a well-known theater group offering him a role in their next play and a permanent spot wit them. Total Drama had helped him get his name out there. The pay was good, and he would get to do what he loved.

"Zoey, can you believe it?" he said after he accepted and hung up the phone. "I finally got a job!"

"You'd better not blow your first paycheck on me." She knew that if she didn't say something, he would spend every cent of it on her.

"I'll do my best, no promises."

They sent him a script, they were doing _Beauty and the Beast_. He practiced for the roll of one of the servants, and Zoey helped him practice.

"You come out or I'll break down the door!" Zoey said in her most menacing voice, which wasn't very menacing.

"Sir, it might help if you could be more… gentle," said Mike with a slight British accent.

"She's the one being difficult!" she yelled at him.

Mike started giggling and couldn't get out his next line. "I'm sorry, you just make a really cute Beast."

"You should be the one playing the Beast, you'd be great at it. The parts where you have to be mean would be a stretch, but you'd do well showing off his sweet side."

"I've never played a main character before, and the Beast is a hard character to play. I think I'm more suited to playing one of the servants."

On the day of his audition, he did his lines for the servant. But Zoey had called the day before and requested that the casting director have Mike read the Beast's lines, as well, but to not tell him she'd asked. He obliged and had him read the Beast's lines, both before and after the breaking of the curse. Mike used the voice he'd used to play Maugrim the wolf in the Narnia play.

Two days later, Mike got another call from the theater.

"Really? Are you sure? But I didn't… but why? No, I'm happy but… wow, I've just never done anything like this. Practice starts on Friday? Yeah, I'll be there. Thanks, bye."

Zoey was in the living room, feeding Satchimo treats. The right side of her lip turned up in a smile; her plan had worked.

When he came back in and sat down beside her, she said, "So, did you get the part?"

"No, I was turned down for the servant. They want me to play the Beast, instead. How did that happen? It wasn't a casting error, they really want me as the Beast."

"I told you! Can I go with you to play practice? I'm not doing anything Friday, you can show me around the theater."

"That'd be great!"

On the first day of practice, the time was spent with just the actors sitting in fold-up chairs practicing their lines. Afterwards, Mike took Zoey by the hand and gave her a tour of the theater. He had already seen it all on the day of his audition, and he was excited to show it to her.

"That's the room where they keep the costumes, and up there they have wires to make people fly. This theater is so big, I've never acted on such a huge stage!"

"I'm so happy for you, Mike," said Zoey, grinning at his enthusiasm.

"They have a schedule of all the plays coming up in the future, the next one's a comedy, and after that an original play written by the director. I can't wait to act in them all!"

One weekend, the weather was foggy, and neither one felt like doing much. They were sitting on the couch trying to think of something to do, when Mike got an idea. He worked up the courage and ran up to his room.

When he came back down, he was holding a piece of sheet music. "Zoey, I want to show you something."

She got up and followed him to the piano. He sat down and she sat down by him.

"This is going to sound really silly, but when I was on Playa Des Losers, I was kind of hit with inspiration. You had left me starstuck. Who am I kidding, I'm still starstruck. I play the piano a little, I haven't in years, though. But there was a piano at the resort that no one ever used, I'm not even sure why it was there, really. But one night I couldn't sleep, and so I went to the piano and started playing. It was just random at first, I wasn't attempting to make any semblance of music, but then I started thinking of you, and it's like the piano started playing itself, the notes came so naturally. I loved the melody, it just seemed to fit you perfectly. It's not much and it's not great, but I wanted you to hear it."

He started playing. It was a soft, slow melody, almost a lullaby but not quite. Zoey didn't normally listen to classical music, but she lost herself in it. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"It's not silly, play it again," she said once it ended. He obliged.

"I also drew you a few times, I hope that's not too weird," he said after he finished the song the second time. He took the drawings out of a blue folder and handed them to her.

"It's not weird at all," she said softly. "You made me look beautiful."

"I just captured what was already there."

She reached into her jacket and pulled out a small purple book. "My diary is my most sacred possession. I brought it with me to Wawanakwa to write down my adventures there, and you take up several pages. Would you like to read them?"

"I can't read your diary, it would be violating your privacy."

"Not if I give you permission. I want you read my thoughts from when we were first getting to know each other. Now, just as a warning, not all of them are very positive. Some of these pages are me venting my frustrations before I knew the truth. But I don't hold that against you, okay? Read until I tell you to stop."

He began to read. The first entry about him was on the first day when they first met. She wrote about how she thought he was hot, and how he seemed to want to be her friend. She was afraid that he was just being nice, though. But in the next entry she wrote about how she liked him, which made him smile. She wrote about cute things she liked about him and fun things they did together. She wrote about how he was a gentleman for making her dinner and listening to her. But then things turned sour when he got to the entries about Vito. He knew she had been upset when Vito and Anne Maria kissed, and how he'd been keeping secrets from her, but he hadn't known the full extent. Here, he could see how angry and hurt he had made her.

"I'm sorry I lied to you-"

"You already apologized, now keep going."

Most of the rest of the entries were about how she was having trouble trusting him. This went on until he got to the entry about when he had finally told her the truth. Her faith in him had been restored and she still loved him for who he was. Reading the last page made him smile.

"That's where we'll stop," said Zoey. Mike held out the book to her, but it slipped out of his hand and landed on the floor. He picked it up and handed it to her, and as he did he caught sight of another, older page and he saw the words, 'the boy with the raccoon eyes.' He wondered what that was about, but he didn't ask.

"Are there any more entries in there about me?"

"Plenty. I might let you read them someday."

"I love you Zoey, I love you so much."

"I love you, too. From now until the end of time."

She crossed the distance between them and kissed him.


	24. The Return

_**Author's Note: **__I'm tweaking canon a bit in these next few chapters. Not too much, it won't change the overall story. I'm putting my own spin on it, doing what I think TDAS should have done that would have made it better. Don't get me wrong, overall I liked TDAS, it was the finale that I couldn't stand, I was just expecting a little more than what we got. There was a lot of untapped potential, like plot points that didn't make sense and they could have done a lot more with Mike's mental journey, so I wanted to tap that potential and see what I could do with it._

* * *

><p>Jack and Holly weren't exactly thrilled the day Mike got the phone call.<p>

"It's in my contract, I have to go back. The classic competitors are coming back by choice, but the favorites from last season have to come back to up the drama. They could sue if I don't, I really don't have a choice here."

"Those scoundrels, slipping things like this into the fine print. At least this is the last time they can legally force you into competing," said Jack.

"Well, and it's not like I thoroughly read the contract. Part of this is my own fault."

"But you can't go back on that island, you barely survived the first time around!" said Holly.

"Zoey will be going back, too. Even if I wasn't legally obligated, I'd still go back for her. And I actually enjoy it, as weird as that sounds. I get to hang out with my friends."

"Just promise us you'll be safe, okay?" said Holly.

"I will."

"Good luck, sport," said Jack.

"Thanks Dad," he said as he hugged him.

Three weeks later, Mike was in line to get on the helicopter that would bring him back to Wawanakwa. He had already been told that old and new competitors would be competing. Geoff had predicted the future.

Once he was on the helicopter, he spotted Zoey. He hadn't been able to see her for several weeks due to extenuating circumstances on her end. He went over to her and said, "It feels like forever since I've seen you."

"I know, the time dragged by. I'm not hugging you first, though."

"Nor am I."

They lasted about thirty seconds before they both hugged each other and laughed. They sat down and Lindsay came to sit by them.

"So you're Max and Zorro, right?"

"Mike and Zoey, but yeah," said Zoey with a smile.

"I remember you guys from last season, your team had the best clothes design in that challenge I was in. You know, the one where I got kidnapped by the yeti. He was such a sweetheart, really. So misunderstood. But I was wondering about the thing you do when you transform into other people, how do you do that? Is it like a super power? Are you like an X-man?"

"No, it's not a super power, and it's not really transforming, I'm just switching personalities."

"I have other personalities, too! Like, sometimes I get really mad when my friend Amber won't tell me where she bought her adorable lipgloss. But usually I'm just happy."

"Those are emotions, I'm talking about other personalities. Like, other people inside my head. Sort of."

She gasped. "How did they get in there? Are they trapped?"

"No. As you saw in the last season, they pretty much come out whenever they want."

"Good, I was really worried there for a second. My favorite was Svetllama, she seemed really nice. Could I talk to her sometime on the island? I'm totally winning this year, so I'll have plenty of time to get to know you guys better."

"I don't think she would mind." Mike couldn't help but grin. Lindsay might not completely understand his disorder, but she was really trying, and she wanted to be his friend.

"Yay! I love making new friends! This is going to be the best season ever. If only my sweet Tyler could be here, but he's cheering me on at home. Are we on TV yet? Hi Tyler, I'm on TV again! Well, I'm going to talk to the others, so I'll see you later!"

Lindsay got up and passed by Cameron and said, "Hey Carmella!"

"It's Cameron!" he corrected her. "I can't believe I'm doing this again. I already won, I don't need the money, what was I thinking?"

"It'll be okay Cam, you're going to do great," said Mike. "This season it's the three of us against the world."

"I have very high hopes for this season," said Zoey. "I hope to make even more friends."

"Me too!" said Sierra. She was sitting next to Zoey. "OMG, I can't believe I'm finally meeting you guys! Your ship was my favorite last season."

"Our ship?" said Zoey.

"You know, ship, relationship, it's not rocket science. Anyway, when it came to couple love, in my book, you guys were in first, with Sam and Dakota in second, B and Dawn in third, and Brick and Jo in fourth. I know two of those aren't canon, but I can't help it. I always ship the ships that aren't canon, it's just the way I am."

Mike and Zoey exchanged glances.

"But you guys are so cute! I've been dying to meet you since I found out we would be competing together this season. I've already studied up on your histories so there's no need for recap, and while we're down here I'll be sure to get a zillion new pictures for my Zoke blog. And maybe a few for the syrup and butter section," she said with a wink.

"What's a zoke?" asked Mike.

"It's your ship name, silly! Don't you read magazines?"

"We try to avoid them," said Zoey. "The paparazzi don't bother us too much, but they have trouble taking no for an answer."

"Yeah, the tabloids don't always show you guys in the right light. That's why I take it upon myself to get the real story for the fans. Accuracy in my reporting is my top priority. But you two are the best, and I just know we'll be best friends on the island."

"Thanks Sierra, I'm sure we will." Both Mike and Zoey were a little creeped out by her, but they knew she meant well and they didn't mind having her around.

"That's great that people like our relationship and support us, but um, Sierra, what do you mean by the syrup and butter section?" asked Zoey.

Sierra whispered in her ear and Zoey gasped.

"They write about what?!"

"Zoey, what is it?" asked Mike.

"It's not just writing, there are drawings galore. There are a lot of dedicated writers and artists out there to your cause."

"What are you talking about?" asked Mike, looking confused and concerned as Zoey's face went redder than her shirt.

"Nothing Mike, nothing," said Zoey, even though it was obvious it was something.

"Don't worry Mike, I'll show you when we reach the island."

"No you will not!" said Zoey as she covered Mike's ears, trying to protect his innocence.

Sierra laughed it off. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Zoey. Every Total Drama character has stuff like that dedicated to them. You should see the one dedicated to Duncan and Courtney, it's life changing."

"No, I'd rather not."

"Please Zoey? It's the dream of your fanclub for you to see the fanwork they've done. I promised them I'd show you," said Sierra with puppy-dog eyes.

"Um, okay, you can show us fanwork of us, but it has to be rated G."

"We'll see about that," said Sierra with a giggle.

Zoey reluctantly let go of Mike, and he looked at her, bewildered. "Um, are you going to explain that?"

Zoey changed the subject by waving Sam over. "Hey Sam!"

"Hey guys," said Sam. "Are you coming to get mutated, too?"

"Um, no," said Zoey.

"Oh, I guess you're here for the money. Well, I plan to get mutated just like my sweet Dakotazoid. But how have you guys been? It's been a while since we've played video games together."

"I know, we've missed you and Dakota," said Zoey.

"Out of the way, coming through! Move it unless you want to get trampled," said Jo as she roughly passed through.

"Jo, have you and Brick started dating yet?" asked Sierra.

"You ask me that one more time I will rip that purple weave out of your skull!"

Lightning came after and shoved a finger in Cameron's face.

"You may have won last year, but just you wait, this is the year of the Lightning. I'm taking that trophy home and I'm gonna squish you like a bug. Look out, lightning is striking!" he said as he struck a pose.

"Um, Lightning," said Cameron timidly. "There's no trophy."

"What? 'Course there is, every competition has a trophy. They put the million dollars in it and then you put it in your trophy case with all your other gold trophies. You won last time, you ought to know this. You ain't as smart as you think, small fry."

Mike and Zoey talked for a long while about what they had been up to recently, when Chef suddenly grabbed him and forced him off the helicopter. Zoey jumped before he could push her off, as well. Chef forced them all off into the cold water below.

* * *

><p>The night after the first challenge, Mike and Zoey went off on their own to catch up. They went to the edge of the one thousand foot cliff, and they laid down in the grass and looked up at the stars.<p>

"I got a scholarship to the college I wanted to go to, I'm really going to be a teacher."

"Those kids are going to be so lucky to have you. Too bad we won't get to spend as much time together, but I'm so happy that you're going to get to do what you love."

"And don't worry, I'll make plenty of time for you. I'll see every show I can, make sure you get me a front row seat to each one."

"After this season is over, we're going to start rehearsing for an original play the director wrote, it looks pretty good."

"Just four years of college and then I'm a free woman."

There was a pause, and then Zoey said, "Say what you will about Wawakankwa, it does have a beautiful view of the stars," said Zoey.

"I wonder what the rest of this season is going to be like," said Mike. He was holding her hand, and he rubbed circles on it with his thumb. "Since I won't have to hide my disorder anymore, I'll be able to just relax."

"Yeah, relax when Chris isn't trying to kill us. And since you don't have to focus your energy on hiding, you can focus it on winning, and on making new friends. This is going to be a great season, I just know it."

There was another pause, then Mike said, "Zoey, would you sing for me?"

"There might be cameras filming, I don't want my singing voice heard round the world."

"Please? For me? I love hearing you sing, it's the only thing more beautiful than those stars up there."

"I'll hum, about that?"

"Whatever you're comfortable with."

She moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest. She started to hum the song she'd loved most as a child, _Once Upon a Dream_. They both closed their eyes and listened to her humming, and they didn't see the fireflies that came to fly over their heads.

* * *

><p><em>"How was I supposed to know he had a vital artery there? There should have been a sign or something as a warning. But he quit breathing before I was done with him, and as you can imagine, that just bummed out my whole day. I read an anatomy book in the asylum so that I won't accidentally kill any more victims before their appointed time. Moral of the story, save the neck for last."<em>

Mal was talking to a half-formed alter by his boulder, which was now in the shape of his head. This one wasn't able to form words. He was feeling chatty, and this mute alter was the perfect audience.

"_Did I ever tell you the story about the day I stole the juvie warden's shoes and hid them?"_

All of a sudden, Mal felt the ground tremble beneath him. His shackles came loose and fell off. He grinned and stood up and stretched. He had no idea what was going on, but he didn't care. He immediately started taking back his kingdom.

He went to the center where the others normally stayed. He made the picture of Mike above them burn to ash, and his face replaced it. They were panicking, which excited him.

"_Hello chums!"_ he said cheerfully. _"Surprise family reunion!"_

He made chains grow out of the ground, just like before, but they put up a fight first. Manitoba pounced on him and got a got in a good punch in the neck, but he kicked him off and smashed his head on the ground, knocking him out. Vito came next and Svetlana with him, but as they made to grab him, he jumped in the air and kicked them both in the face at the same time. Chester jumped on his back and beat him with his cane, but he easily threw him off. He put a foot on his neck and pushed down until he stopped squirming.

He wrapped the chains around them and then waited patiently for them to wake up. When they did, he made them rise to their feet and walk. They tried to fight back, but with the chains around them, they were powerless.

Mal made his first stop a ways off. He chained everyone to the ground except Chester. He made a boulder appear and made two hills grow out of the ground. He chained Chester's foot to the boulder.

"_Chester, your whole identity is frustration, that's the only emotion you've ever felt. Because of this, your torment will be frustration. Every day you will push the boulder you're chained to up the first hill. After it rolls back down, you will roll it up the second hill. You will continue doing this until I tell you to stop. Don't expect me to say stop anytime soon."_

"_You ninny! What will that accomplish?"_

"_Who said you were trying to accomplish anything?" _

Chester began pushing the rock, and it moved surprisingly easy. _"Hey, this isn't so hard."_

"_Of course not, right now. It'll be easy the first few times, but after a while you'll be weighed down by your fatigue. Your morale will plummet as you're forced to work hard and expend your energy on a futile task. What could be more frustrating than that?"_

"_Leave the old timer alone!" _said Manitoba.

"_Don't be jealous, you'll get to have your own fun."_

Mal dragged the others on farther, until they were out of sight of Chester. He stopped and secured Vito and Manitoba's chains to the ground, but he tugged on Svetlana's chain and took her out a ways. But Svetlana was not about to go down without a fight. She struck out with her foot and kicked him in the face, knocking him over. She ran away as fast as she could, still in chains but determined to get as far away from him as possible. She knew who he used to be, and she briefly considered using it to try to reach his inner goodness to save herself, to save all of them. But there was nothing good left inside him, she'd be wasting her breath. And he'd more than likely kill her if he knew what she knew.

All of a sudden, the ground beneath her began to crumble away, she screamed and was forced to stop. The only ground that was left was a tiny column, only big enough for one foot. If she moved even an inch, she would fall. She looked and saw Mal, standing on stable ground far from her, his arms crossed and his mouth turned in a frown. His nose was dripping blood.

"_Svetlana, you are full of arrogance. You're always boasting to be the greatest gymnast in the world, that's a pretty big claim, especially when you've never even gone up against any real champions. You're so sure of yourself, so confident in your abilities. Even from the highest of heights, you know you'll never fall. But the thing is, as they say, pride goeth before a fall."_

"_You monster! Mike vill defeat you! Your kingdom is built on blood and ashes, it cannot stand!"_

"_We'll see."_ He left her there and went back to Vito and Manitoba.

"_What did you do to Svet?"_ asked Manitoba angrily.

"_I'd worry more about yourselves than her."_

"_At least she made ya bleed. Sugar Glider never goes quietly," _said Manitoba with a smirk.

Mal wiped the blood from his nose and led Manitoba and Vito farther on. Another mile out, they stopped again. Mal dragged Vito away and tied his chain to a boulder. He extended his chain and made it much longer.

"_Ayo, why are you giving me such a long leash?"_

"_You're going to need a longer leash for what I have in mind for you. Vito, you are in love with yourself, and you assume everyone else is, too. You're practically the epitome of vanity. You love admiring yourself and your muscles in the mirror. Well, I'm going to give you a new face to admire: mine."_

Mal made great slabs of marble appear before Vito. He handed him a hammer and chisel and said, _"You will use these materials to build statues in my image, like the great Pharaohs of old."_

"_And if I don't?"_ Vito swung a right hook at Mal and socked him in the eye. He grabbed Mal by the front of his shirt and flipped him over onto his back and beat him until he was a bloody pulp and Vito was too tired to continue. Mal laid face-down on the ground for a moment, he had put up no resistance in the least to the attack, he hadn't even cried out. For a moment, Vito wondered if he had actually killed him, if that was even possible.

But then Mal pushed himself up on shaky arms and legs, and he chuckled darkly. He looked up at Vito, blood smeared on his face, and took a step towards him. Vito was still chained to the boulder so he couldn't escape, but he got as far back as he could from him. The way Mal was looking at him, grinning through all the blood like he had enjoyed the pain, was terrifying.

He got right up in Vito's face and said, calmly and quietly, _"Are you satisfied now? Or would you like to go again? We can keep this up as long as you like."_

"_What the hell is wrong with you?" _he asked, thoroughly creeped out now.

"_We need to hurry up, our little game has kept poor Manitoba waiting, no doubt he's worried sick about us both. Now, are you going to do what I asked?"_

"_Like I said before,"_ said Vito, trying to pretend that he wasn't disturbed. _"What are you going to do if I don't?"_

"_If you don't do what you're told, or if you disfigure my statues in any way, I will reduce you to the state of a half-formed alternate personality."_

Vito took a step back. _"That's impossible."_

"_Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Do you really want to take that chance?"_

Vito knelt down and started carving. He glared at Mal angrily as he did so.

"_I knew you'd see things my way."_

He went back to Manitoba. _"Love what you've done with yourself."_

"_Oh Manitoba, what would I do without your endearing sense of humor."_

He led Manitoba out farthest of all, and as he did, Manitoba asked, _"Did you spend all that time locked up planning what you'd do to us if you ever got control back?"_

"_Everyone needs a hobby."_

He dragged him along, and Manitoba bristled at the indignity of being led like a dog. Mal stopped him once they could no longer see Vito, but Manitoba grabbed his chain and put it around Mal's neck.

"_Let me go right now, crocodile. I've got the upper hand now, I've wrestled things three times your size. Shrimp like you don't stand a chance against me."_

"_You're right, I am a shrimp. I don't stand a chance against strong tough guys like you, I should just give up."_

Manitoba said nothing and held tight to the chain.

"_That is, unless I do this."_ Mal jammed his fingers in Manitoba's eyes, making him cry out in pain and let go. He clutched his eyes as Mal secured his chain to a boulder, and then he knelt down and started a campfire.

"_What are you gonna to do to me? Make me dance on hot coals?" _Manitoba asked, tears of blood and water running down from his eyes.

"_Maybe another time. I really should have given you Svetlana's torment, or Vito's, you are the most egotistical of us all, but I have a special job for you."_ Mal handed him a lasso. _"See those clouds up there?" _He pointed up at dozens of clouds floating in the air. _"Those are Mike's dreams, his happy thoughts. I want you to collect them and burn them in the fire."_

"_Now why on earth would I do that?"_

"_You like Zoey, right?"_

That took him aback. _"Well sure, she's nice. Mike's lucky to have a gal like her."_

"_It would be so awful if something were to happen to her. Just imagine if she were found on the beach, bloody and broken. Or what if she just completely vanished, and no one ever sees her again. It would be such a shame, like you said, she's so nice. I don't know about you, but it would just break my precious little heart. Seriously, there could be tears."_

"_If I do this, you'll leave her and everyone else alone?"_

"_I can't promise the safety of the others, but Zoey is much more likely to stay alive if you follow orders."_

Manitoba sighed. He swung his lasso and tossed it into the air. His vision was blurry from Mal's attack, but he managed to catch one on his third try. He looked at it and saw Zoey in a white wedding dress. He had dreamed about them getting married. Without looking, he threw it into the flames.

"_Excellent. See, we can get along." _

"_Don't you think Mike will notice if his dreams start disappearin'?"_

"_You wouldn't believe how much Mike doesn't notice."_

Manitoba felt guilty about torching Mike's dreams, but he had no choice. Once they beat Mal, he would just have to make some new ones. _If_ they could beat Mal.

Mal left Manitoba there and went on to his beloved tower. He climbed the winding stairs and sat down in his golden throne. He fashioned himself a jeweled crown and scepter and sat there, waiting and watching for the moment to strike.

"_And the walls came tumbling down."_

* * *

><p>The night after the paintball-leech challenge, Mike, Sam, Sierra, and Cameron were sitting by the bonfire. Jo had just been eliminated, and Zoey was off taking a shower. Mike had asked them to stay because he wanted to talk to them, and they were the only people willing to help if they could.<p>

"I don't know what's wrong with me, I can't access my other personalities."

"Maybe you were affected by the toxic waste, like Dakota was," Sam suggested. "And it just had a delayed reaction."

"I don't think that's it, it's related to you hitting your head, I'm sure of that," said Cameron.

"But since when are head injuries a cure for anything?" said Sierra. "I mean, it works all the time in the movies to cure amnesia, but this is real life we're talking about."

"Try triggering them now, let's see what happens," said Sam.

Mike took off his shirt and put on a fedora, nothing happened. He stood up and kicked one of the seats, hurting his foot. He took the hat off and put his shirt back on and said, "See? Someone should have come out to say hello, but they're not coming out. Are you guys worried?"

"A little, maybe. I mean, is this really such a bad thing?" said Sam. "We've got just Mike all to ourselves now with no interruptions."

"I really wanted Svetlana's autograph, but with you out more often, I get to see more interactions between you and Zoey that I get to blog about. Plus, I like hanging out with you, you're even nicer in real life than you were on the show."

"I'll keep looking into this, see what I can find," said Cameron.

"You think I shouldn't be worried?"

"As far as I'm concerned, you're cured, man!" said Sam. "They'll probably come back later, they're probably taking a nap or something. In the meantime, savor being the one and only by having fun with us. Let's go night-swimming!"

Sam and Cameron went to the water, and as Mike and Sierra were following, Sierra said, "I really admire your character development."

"Um, what?"

"If this had happened last season, you'd be jumping for joy. You'd be glad to be rid of your alters because you were so embarrassed and ashamed of them. Now you accept your disorder more, and you don't hide from us. I think that's great."

"Thanks, Sierra," he said with a smile. "Yeah, I'm glad I don't have to hide anymore."

"It's like when I was in elementary school, I didn't really have many friends and I had low self-esteem. But then one day, I decided that I was beautiful, and I became beautiful and full of confidence. I also decided that if something made me happy, I was going to cherish it and not give up until I made it mine. There were times when I was afraid it wouldn't work out, but just look at me now, I won my sweet Cody-kins."

"Uh, yeah. You know, I always wondered about that. No offense at all to you or Cody, but I was wondering why you fell in love with him. In high school, the girls all talked about how much they loved Justin, Trent, Alejandro, guys like them. I was just wondering what made you fall for Cody, and not one of them."

"Everyone's always asking that, but I don't answer it because I shouldn't have to justify my feelings. But you're a friend, and you've never insulted Cody, so I'll tell you. From the very first episode of Total Drama Island, I felt a connection with Cody, though it took a little while for it to turn into love. I'll admit, I was a little attracted to Justin at first like everyone else, but I never had a crush. Besides, I know where those lips have been. I know where everyone's lips have been. I thought he was cute and funny, and I felt so sorry for him when he got voted out just because he was injured. Cody could have still won, even in a full body cast! I almost forgot about him until I saw him again in the episode where we saw Playa Des Losers. His tan was very hot, but I didn't think much more of him, until the end. He said that he was happy to let Gwen go if it made her happy, and that was it, that was the moment when my heart stopped belonging to me. Until then, I had loved Chris, but no, I could only love one man. To be so noble and selfless… it was the most romantic thing I've ever seen. That was the moment when I knew we were destined to be together for all eternity," she said dreamily.

"Oh, I see." It was touching and slightly creepy at the same time. "Let's go swimming!"

Mike had fun swimming with his friends, but he couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that there was something very wrong going on in his head.

* * *

><p>After the egg-hunting challenge was over, before the elimination ceremony, Mike went to find Zoey to talk to her.<p>

"Zoey, can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure Mike." They went to the empty bedroom in the spa hotel. They sat down on Mike's bed and he held her hands as he spoke.

"I need to do something about my personalities, or my lack of personalities at the moment. No matter what I do, I can't trigger them. We've done three episodes since they disappeared, four counting today's challenge. I have never gone this many days without at least one of them appearing, I'm worried about them, as weird as that sounds. What if that blow to the head did something to them? The others don't think it's a big deal, but I think it is. I don't feel like myself, I feel… meaner and… kind of depressed, but I don't know why, everything's great. My meds aren't helping, and I'm afraid that this might be a sign that something isn't right in my brain. I don't know, maybe this is a good thing, maybe I'm finally cured. Maybe that blow to the head did the trick. It's unheard of, it shouldn't be possible, but right now, that's what it seems to be.

"I feel conflicted, on one hand I kind of miss them, but on the other, it's been really nice. I finally know what normal feels like, I don't have to worry about them doing anything embarrassing, and I remember nearly everything that's been happening. I'm getting to spend every moment with you and Cam, and I'm getting more chances to make friends with the others. You don't know how good that feels."

"I have to admit, I don't mind being with just Mike," said Zoey with a smile. "I've gotten to spend more time with you than I thought I would, and it's wonderful. But I am still worried about you. If having alternate personalities means you're okay and not having them means something's amiss, I'd choose you with multiples without question."

"But there have still been times when I can't remember things. I blacked out for the entire blue harvest moon challenge, I don't know who was in control then. I think I've been sleep-walking too, and I blacked out when the other's things were broken. None of my personalities break things for no reason, it makes no sense. I just have a bad feeling about this, I'm worried that something bad is going to happen. Maybe I'm just overreacting, maybe I'm taking a gift and turning it into a curse. Maybe there's some perfectly logical explanation for all this that I'm not aware of. I don't know."

"Do you miss your personalities? I know, odd question."

"I kind of do, actually. When you spend your whole life with people chattering away inside your head all the time, it's unnerving to suddenly be all alone and hear only one voice in your head, your own. They're a pain to deal with, but in a weird way we're like family. Don't get me wrong, I much prefer your company and Cameron's to theirs. If they are gone for good, I'll get used to it eventually. I know it would make you happy to have a boyfriend whose mind is all his own."

"I love you just the way you are, with or without alters. Don't do anything for my sake, do it for yours."

"I want to believe that this is a good thing, and that maybe I'm finally free after all these years. But it's more likely that it's a symptom or a warning of something seriously wrong with my mind. For once, not having a disorder may be a bad thing. I know you're worried about me, and I know you're scared, too." She opened her mouth to speak, but he said, "It's okay, I understand. Zoey, there's nothing I hate more than seeing you scared or upset and knowing it's my fault but not knowing why. I have an idea of how to fix this, it might work, but it might not."

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you later if it works. But Zoey, if it doesn't work, then I'll quit the competition."

"But they won't send you straight home, you'll go to the Playa, that won't solve anything."

"Maybe they'll make an exception for me and let me go home. At the very least they'll probably put me in touch with someone who can help."

"Mike, no. I don't want you to quit, I want us to stay together. Don't let your disorder stop you from doing things like everyone else, you can beat it."

"I already did just by getting onto the show and meeting you," he said with a smile. "I defied pretty much everyone coming here the first time, and I made it farther than I thought I would. Not only that, but you've helped build my self-esteem, I've become more confident since meeting you. I've got a job at the theater and I can support myself, I've made a lot of awesome friends, and I won your heart. I know what I'm capable of, and I don't need a million dollars to prove what I can do. I still have trouble believing in myself, my self-esteem is still pretty low, but I've come a long way from before, and it's thanks to you. I'm not afraid to challenge myself and my disorder, but I do have limits and it's not smart to pretend like nothing's wrong for the sake of money.

"If my plan doesn't work, we'll talk to the others and we'll throw the next challenge, and you guys can vote me off. I'll go home and work this out with my psychiatrist, she might put me on new medication or something. Or, she might tell me that I got worked up over nothing and that I gave up the million for no reason and I'm an idiot. Either way, I think in this case it's better to be safe than sorry. I don't want to go home, but I'll do it if I have to, if I don't improve by the next elimination. I have to get my head on straight if I'm going to be a good boyfriend to you."

Zoey hugged him and said, "I know this must be so hard for you, and it's very mature of you to volunteer to go home and get help when you need it, even if it does mean sacrificing the money. Your health, physical and mental, is what's most important. If you choose to go home, I'll play for both of us while you work on getting better. Know that if you do choose to go home, no one here will think any less of you for it. And when I see you again, I'm going to kiss you, with or without your disorder."

"Thanks, Zoey. And if I do go home, I'll be cheering louder for you than anyone else. Last season after I got sent to the Playa, the others kept yelling at me to shut up because I kept cheering too loud while I watched you, but I couldn't help it. You were a little scary when you went commando, you know," he giggled.

"I know, going back and watching it, I can't believe I did all that stuff. But it's not ever going to happen again."

"It's almost time for the elimination ceremony, I'd better go," said Mike.

Zoey let go of him and kissed his cheek. "Mike, whatever you've got planned, just be safe, okay?"

"I will, I promise."

He left the hotel and made sure no one was looking. He found a large rock and carried it to the confessional. He was dreading the pain, but it would be worth it to protect Zoey. He had to fix his brain before he could trust himself around Zoey, Cameron, and all his friends. He had to protect them, no matter the cost.

He lifted the rock over his head and dropped it. He blacked out, everything went dark, and he couldn't see a thing. Then the light came back on again, but it was a very bright light and it stung his eyes.

"_What the heck? Where am I?"_ he asked.

Before he could get his bearings, he heard a booming voice say, _"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step right up! Come closer, you won't believe your eyes! You've heard of such freaks as the wolfman, but you've never seen anything like this, it's an abomination! A boy with not one, not two, but over a dozen people living inside his head!"_

The audience roared, and Mike saw that he was in a small metal cage in a circus ring. Off-key circus music played loudly in the background. The ringmaster wore a dark cloak, with a hood obscuring his face. He looked like the grim reaper, and in his hand he held a scythe. On both sides he saw other cages, all holding freaks like the lizard man and a man with two heads. Each one was more twisted and grotesque than the last, it was horrific. The ones closest to him stretched their hands through the bars of his cage and tried to grab him, their fingers were mere inches from reaching him.

"_Out of those, four are the most prominent. Put a hat on his head, and an adventurer comes out!"_

He stuck a fedora on his head, and a ghostly figure walked out of his body. Manitoba tipped his hat and started swinging a lasso.

"_Take off his shirt, and you'll meet a Jersey bodybuilder!"_

He ripped off his shirt, and out came Vito kissing his muscles.

"_It'll come as a shock to no one that he's more in touch with his feminine side than most guys."_

Svetlana leapt out and twirled in a circle. She blew kisses to the crowd.

"_And we can't forget grandpa!"_

Chester hobbled out with his cane.

"_And last, but certainly not least, a whole host of nameless others."_

Many others came out, until the floor was full of ghosts. The crowd gasped at the sight.

"_Now, which one of you is brave enough to be the first to meet this strange creature? How about the lovely lady in the front row!"_

The crowd clapped as a girl came out of the audience to stand by the ringmaster. He bowed and kissed her hand, and Mike gasped as he recognized her, it was Zoey.

"_Zoey!"_ he said as he desperately reached through the bars for her hand.

"_Ugh, it can talk?"_ she said in disgust.

"_He's more intelligent than he looks. Would you like to touch him?"_

"_Get me away from that thing, it's awful!"_

Mike was stung by her reaction, and he retracted his hand.

"_Oh, it's all right, he won't bite. He's quite tame."_

Zoey reached out with her hand through the bars and gently stroked his face.

"_See? He's not a monster at all,"_ said the cloaked figure. _"Did you know that this thing is your boyfriend?"_

"_Oh yeah, he is, isn't he? I don't know why I ever thought it could work between us. I'm ashamed to call him my boyfriend," _said Zoey as she turned her back on him._ "His personalities are always popping out on dates and embarrassing me, and he kissed another girl right in front of me. Even when he is in control he's so boring, there's nothing special about him. He's just a freak,"_ said Zoey, and she turned back around and began to laugh. It started out as a little giggle, but then became a full belly laugh. The crowd joined in and laughed with her, they laughed and pointed at him. It made Mike want to curl up and disappear. Was this really what Zoey thought of him?

His alters turned to face him as the laughter became unbearably loud, and they charged at him and engulfed him. The bright lights of the circus exploded before his eyes, temporarily blinding him. When his vision returned, he was holding a knife, and the knife was in Zoey's heart.

"_Zoey, no!"_ he screamed as he caught her. He took out the knife and tossed it aside, and he held her in his arms and dropped to his knees on the floor. Blood gushed from the hole in her chest.

"_Mike, how could you?"_ she whispered with her last breath.

"_Zoey, I'm so sorry, Zoey."_ He cradled her lifeless form against his chest as he sobbed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another body. He looked up and let out a strangled scream. He was surrounded by the blood-soaked bodies of Cameron, his parents and grandparents, and two children, a boy and girl.

The room he was in was lined with mirrors, so that he could see every angle of the dead bodies. He saw himself in the mirrors, his entire body was caked in blood. There was no door, no escape. He saw the cloaked figure standing before him. He looked down at him and said, _"Mike, what have you done?"_

"_I didn't do anything, I-I don't know what happened. It must have been one of my personalities… Oh God."_

"_You're really blaming your personalities for this? Mike, whose hands were holding the knife?"_

"_Mine were."_

"_Who is covered in the blood of the innocent dead?"_

"_I am."_

"_Just because you weren't conscious doesn't make you not guilty. Your alters are all part of you, so that means you're guilty."_

Mike looked at the children. The boy had his dark hair, and the girl had red hair. _"Who… who are they?"_

"_They're the children you and Zoey had together. They were beautiful, weren't they?"_

Once or twice, Mike had considered the possibility that he and Zoey might have a family of their own someday. He had loved the idea, until now. For the first time, he realized why he could never have children of his own, why he should never be a father. Still cradling Zoey, Mike reached out and gently held the hand of the little girl. It was so cold, colder than ice.

"_It was for the best, really,"_ said the cloaked figure. He got down on his knees and whispered in his ear, _"They were insane, just like their daddy."_

The scene before him shattered like a broken mirror into thousands of pieces, but the pieces came back together to make a new place. This time he was inside a courtroom, and he was wearing orange, like a criminal. Every person in the courtroom was shouting, it was so loud he had to cover his ears, but it did nothing to block out the sound.

"_Order! Order in the court!"_ He heard someone shout as they banged a gavel. The shouting didn't stop, but the volume seemed to decrease. He looked up to where the voice had come from, and he saw the cloaked figure again.

"_We are here today to put Michael Skinner on trial for his crimes. The crime of hiding away and letting others suffer in his place, the crime of keeping us all in the dark, and the crime of bringing us all into existence in the first place. There is also the charge of murder, eight murders, to be exact. How do you plead?"_

"_What is going on here?!"_

"_Not the answer I was looking for. We'll go with… guilty!"_

"_Wait, what? No, not guilty!"_

"_That's up to the jury to decide. We don't have twelve, but we have enough." _The jury was comprised of his family and Cameron. They were still bloody, and their eyes were empty sockets.

"_What do you have to say for yourself, Mike?"_

"_I didn't do any of those things, I mean, I didn't mean to! I never meant for any of this to happen, I'm sorry!"_

"_Let's bring in our witness, shall we?"_

Zoey entered the court, looking angry. Her eyes were also empty sockets, and he couldn't take his eyes off the hole in her heart.

"_Zoey Roth, how do you know the defendant?"_

"_He was my boyfriend."_

"_What did he do to you?"_

"_He lied to my face, all he ever does is lie, I can't trust him at all. He murdered me. I loved him, he said he loved me, but I'm dead now because of him. He's a monster."_

"_Zoey, I'm sorry, I didn't want to lie, I was just so afraid you'd hate me if you knew the truth about me," _he said as more tears streamed down his face._ "I didn't mean for you to get hurt, I'm so sorry."_

"_It's too late for sorry,"_ she said as she turned away, refusing to look at him anymore.

"_Now that we've heard all the facts, it's time for the jury to decide. Is he guilty or not guilty?"_

"_GUILTY!"_ they screamed.

"_Now we must decide punishment. I propose that Mike live out the rest of his days in a straightjacket in a padded cell. But the punishment must fit the crime, so Zoey, do you think this is fair punishment?"_

"_No, it's far too lenient. The only acceptable punishment is death!"_

"_Very well, then. Michael Skinner, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. Therefore, I sentence you to trial by fire!"_

The jurors cheered, and the building around him fell away. Mike was suddenly in a cage, and the cage was miles off the ground, next to the glowing full moon. The cloaked figure and Zoey were the only ones with him this time. They stood on platforms, Zoey was in the front, the cloak in the back.

"_Any last words?" _asked the cloak.

"_Let me go!"_

"_How poetic."_

Zoey and the cloaked figure unsheathed knives at the same time. The knives reflected the light of the moon.

"_Zoey, please, we love each other," _he pleaded._ "Please forgive me."_

Zoey smiled in glee and triumph as she sank the blade deep into his heart. The cloak stabbed him in the heart from the back. The pain was excruciating, it was so bad he couldn't make a sound. They simultaneously twisted their blades, and heat spread throughout his body. He burst into flame from the inside out, and it spread to the cage. Mike screamed in pain and terror, but the world seemed to melt away from the heat, and he suddenly found himself in a dark, creepy graveyard, and he was standing before an empty grave. Rain was pouring down from the sky, lightning flashed close by.

The cloaked figure appeared again, alongside Zoey. He said, _"Now I lay me down to sleep."_

Zoey shoved Mike into the hole, he landed in mud six feet under. _"I pray the Lord, my soul to keep."_

He took a shovel and started filling the hole in with dirt. Zoey looked down and smiled. Mike looked and saw two adult skulls in the hole with him, they were charred black. _"And if I die before I wake."_

"_Please let me out! I don't want to die!"_

The hole was completely filled with mud now, and Mike couldn't breathe. _"I pray the Lord my soul to take."_

Mike screamed as he felt himself dying, but then he opened his eyes and saw that he was chained by the ankle to a boulder in his subconscious. He was breathing heavily, his eyes were wide and his whole body was shaking from head to toe. None of that had been real, it was just a nightmare, but it didn't make him feel any better. There was no sign of any of his personalities anywhere, he was alone. He was scared and confused, he didn't know what to do now. He was trapped.

"_Hello!"_ he yelled. _"Is anyone there? Can anyone hear me? Somebody answer me!"_

He had really screwed up this time; if he wasn't in control and neither were the others, then who was? Was it the cloaked figure? That couldn't be good. For a long while he tried to get free, but nothing he did broke the chain. It was hopeless, he was never getting out of this. He'd never see Zoey again. He wished he had told her he loved her one last time, he swore that if he ever got free again, he would tell her he loved her every day. But that was looking very unlikely. He curled up and hugged his knees to his chest and buried his face in them. He was devastated, there was nothing he could do. He was a prisoner.

He heard laughter, and when he looked up, he saw the dark cloaked figure approaching him in a mirror. He wanted to run, but the chain prevented that. He could only wait in horror to see what he would do. The figure lowered his hood, so Mike could see his face. It was an alter he had never seen before, yet was strikingly familiar. He had skin that was slightly lighter than his, and curly brown hair that fell in his eyes. He had eyes that were a slightly lighter shade of brown than his own, and he had a malicious grin on his face, a gap-toothed grin that looked a lot like his own.

"_Hello Mike. Sorry about all that, it was really overdramatic, wasn't it? I'm really good with illusions and I couldn't help myself, I'm just so excited! This is the first time we've spoken directly in over seven years, it's a momentous occasion and I wanted to celebrate. I love putting on a show, that's something we have in common. That's the most important thing about a villain, you know, how well they can show off in a performance. Yes, it was over the top, but you are worth it. So, did you miss me?"_

"_Are… are you the personality that tried to kill me when I was twelve?"_

"_Don't insult me Mike, I'm a lot of things but I'm not a rabid animal. And really, do you think that thing could have pulled off that presentation? No, that alter hasn't come out in a long time, daddy 2.0 scared it and it doesn't want to take the chance of dying. It's a shame really, that one was the nastiest of the bunch and it doesn't do much of anything now, except when you're having your anxiety attacks, of course. He does the most damage then. But at least you still have plenty of others like him that want you to die, they're just not as depraved."_

"_Then who are you?"_ asked Mike, his sense of dread growing stronger. _"All you've ever done is torment me and tear me down with words, why haven't you ever shown yourself before?"_

"_I'm The Malevolent One, at your disservice. But you can call me Mal. You're a part of me, one of my many alternate personalities."_

"_What are you talking about? I'm the original, you're the alternate personality, or one of them, anyway. You said it yourself, in the illusion."_

"_You're adorable, the way you've deluded yourself into thinking that."_ Mal sat down cross-legged. _"You see, when I was a kid, both my parents abused me terribly, and to cope I developed DID. You were my very first alter, a nice kid who was scared but still wanted to help me. The abuse you took was so bad that it made you forget everything, and now you think you own this body. That little play I put on for you was playing along with that fantasy, it wasn't accurate."_

"_If that were true, which it's not, then why have I been the one with the most control all these years?"_

"_The others sealed me away for a long time because they saw me as a threat, which is accurate. They chained to that very same boulder, those are my chains you're wearing. I spent over seven years in those chains, just let that sink in. They thought you were a better choice as host, because you would never do the things I've done. I did some pretty bad stuff, landed myself in juvie and in an asylum, and that's when I was just eight years old and before anyone even knew I had DID. But what I did before won't even compare to what I'm going to do now that I'm free."_

"_You're a liar, you can't fool me."_

"_Does it bother you that the body you thought was yours is a rental? Does it upset you that you can't ever be with Zoey because you're not a real person? Now you know how Vito feels."_

"_You really expect me to believe anything you tell me?"_

"_I can't make you believe, but it must intrigue and concern you that I could be telling the truth. I am a liar Mike, that is true, but that doesn't mean I lie all the time. I speak the truth every now and again to keep you on your toes, and it's up to you to decide if I'm speaking the truth now or just more lies. _

"_But enough about me, if I were you I'd worry about your precious Zoey and Cameron, and pretty much every person I come into contact with, really. Just think, whatever I do to them, they're going to think it's you. Just think how betrayed Cameron will feel when his best friend, the first friend he ever made, stabs him in the back. Just think how hurt Zoey will be when the boy she loved crushes her into dust. Or, maybe she'll like Mal, maybe she won't want Mike anymore. Wouldn't that be interesting. I guess we'll see, won't we?"_

"_You leave her alone, don't hurt anyone!"_ Mike lunged for him, but the chain made him fall on his face. _"Those are innocent people you're messing with, you have to stop!"_

"_Stop? Oh, no, no, no. I'm just getting started."_

Mal disappeared, and Mike said, _"No! No, no wait, come back!"_

"_Michael!" _he heard someone say. He turned around and saw a little boy with bright red boy looked slightly off, like something wasn't right about him, but Mike wasn't concerned about that._ "You have to stop that scary guy, he's hurt us before and he'll do it again if you don't stop him."_

"_I want to, but I don't know how. I can't even figure out how to get out of this chain," _he said as he pointed down to it.

"_You can do it, Michael, I know you can! After you beat him, will you come visit me in my house? I'll show you my toys."_

He looked to where he was pointing, and he did see a white house with pink roses around it. He also saw other children like him, from toddlers to preteens, mostly boys with a few girls. They all looked wrong; some just looked strange while others were horridly deformed and disfigured. Some glared at him angrily, some looked away when he looked at them, and some didn't seem to be aware of anything at all. Mike shivered and stopped looking at them. This was a part of his mind he never wanted to visit again, but the boy was looking at him expectantly.

"_Maybe someday."_

The boy grinned and said,_ "Until then, you can have this. It's my favorite toy."_

He handed him a red racecar, and Mike smiled at his generosity. "_Thanks, that's really cool of you."_

The boy smiled again and then ran off.

Mike was encouraged by the little boy, but he was still unsettled by Mal. He didn't believe him, he knew he was the original personality, but he couldn't get rid of the feeling that maybe he was telling the truth. If he was, then that meant he would lose Zoey, he couldn't keep her if he was just a piece of Mal's fractured psyche. And it would mean the boy his parents had raised and loved wasn't real. It was too horrible to even imagine. But no, there was no way it could be true. Mike had been about to give up hope, but there was no way he was going to give up now. Somehow, he was going to get out of this and take back what was his. He was going to fight Mal and get control back, he wouldn't stop until Zoey was safe.

* * *

><p>After Mal took full control, after the boxing challenge, the first thing he did was take a long walk. It had been years since he'd had any control at all, he wanted to savor the feeling of being in charge again. The last time he'd been in charge, the body had been only ten years old. It had changed a lot since then, before he'd had no muscle, now it was much stronger and more built. It was kind of weird being so tall, the body was capable of so much more now. Not that he'd ever let size or strength level determine what he could do.<p>

He whistled as he walked. He saw Duncan up ahead glaring at him, and he noticed something familiar about him. Could he be the same Duncan he went to juvie with? It sure looked like it.

To test it, he brushed his hair down and let it cover his eye. As he passed he whispered in his ear, "So, bunkmate, how did you get thrown in juvie all those years ago? I'm still waiting for an answer."

Duncan tried to play it cool, but in the corner of his eye he saw him shudder slightly. He suppressed a laugh, yup, it was his old bunkmate. Mal wasn't concerned, though. If Duncan had any brains at all, he would know to stay out of his way. He didn't care if he tried to warn the others, he knew he'd already warned Zoey. But if he started to cause trouble, he would be swiftly dealt with.

"Hey Mike! Mind if I tag along?" said Cameron. Mal quickly fixed his hair.

"Of course not, buddy. The more the merrier," he said with a smile. Mal slipped into the human mask with ease, it fit him like a glove. When it came to being friendly and charming, his abilities had not suffered from disuse.

"You were amazing in the boxing challenge, but don't you think you went a little overboard?"

"I just got a little carried away, I feel really bad about it, though. I hope Izzy doesn't have any hard feelings."

"What do you think the next challenge will be?"

"Knowing Chris, it could be anything."

"Have your personalities shown any signs of coming back?"

"No, and it's the strangest thing. But I've been doing a lot of hard thinking, and maybe it's for the best. I know they're useful in challenges and all, but at least now we get more time to hang out, and I get to spend more time with Zoey. I'm sure they'll come back on their own, eventually."

"You're really not worried about it?"

"I was at first, but think about it from my point of view, Cam. This is like a vacation, before I couldn't even do the everyday mundane task of taking my shirt off without a guest appearance from Vito. I love hats, but I couldn't wear them without triggering Manitoba. Did you know I've never been to a single gym class? Svetlana or Vito took over every single time, I don't even know what the gym looks like. And then there's Chester. I can't even express emotions without having to worry that one of my backseat drivers will steal the wheel. I know you can't possibly understand all this, but try Cam, try. You and everyone else take your disorder-free minds for granted, if you knew how much I have to struggle everyday just to stay myself, with the added stresses of school, friends, my relationship with Zoey, and this game, you'd see why this is so great. I know I'm me all the time. Isn't that what you want, to have just Mike?"

"Of course, I'm just afraid this is a symptom of something worse going on in your brain. I've never heard of multiple personalities spontaneously vanishing. There's something else I'm worried about, too. I've done a lot of research on DID in my free time, and I read about personalities that are harmful to either themselves or to other people. They're called persecutor alters, and I think… I think you have one." It had taken Cameron a lot of courage to say that.

"Really? But… but surely I would know about it if I did. Are you really scared of me, Cam? I don't want you to be afraid of me," he said sadly.

"I'm not afraid of you, I'm afraid of it. I mean, I could be wrong, but all the evidence I've seen points to it. I just want to make sure you're okay. I don't exactly have an overabundance of friends, I have to look after the ones I do have. I would advise you to see a doctor, but Chef is the closest thing we have to one, and I don't think he'd be a lot of help here."

"You're a genius, why don't you be my doctor? Tell you what, if I start feeling off, I'll tell you and we can work on it together, okay?"

"Okay, I guess that could work."

"Awesome, let's start now. Ask me questions, let's do an examination." Mal sat down on a large stone and smiled.

"All right, thanks for cooperating, it makes this easier. Have you ever woken up with cuts or other injuries that were obviously self-inflicted?"

"No, only accidental ones from when Vito got into fights or when Manitoba got too cozy with dangerous reptiles."

"Have any of your personalities said anything to put you down, or have they ever threatened you?"

"No, they might get angry at me sometimes, but overall we get along fine."

"Have you ever talked to your psychiatrist about persecutor alters? Has she ever documented evidence of one?"

"We talked about the possibility, but none ever surfaced. I've seen her list of all the alters she's observed in me, and none of them fit the description of what you're looking for."

"How do you explain everyone's things getting broken?"

"Maybe Duncan did it. I know I broke your glasses, but that was an accident, I swear. Maybe he broke everything else and pinned it on me, including his own knife to avoid suspicion. Think about it, who's the delinquent here?"

"Duncan. But why would he be targeting you? Wouldn't it be smarter to go after Alejandro or Scott? They're the bigger threats."

"I'm an easier target, I'm not cunning like them. He probably made an alliance with them, they're sharks picking off the weaker fish one by one. If everyone on our team suspects me, it'll be harder to trust and it could unravel our entire team and make us vulnerable to attack. They want you to focus so much on me that you can't see them destroying our team, and our friendship."

"I never thought of it that way, that makes sense. You might be right, why didn't I see it before? I believe you, Mike."

"Good, now quit worrying, Cam, I feel great. You're stressing over nothing."

"I guess I am. I'll leave you alone now, I'm going to go read my psychology book again to make sure I didn't overlook anything."

"You do that." _He's next to go on the chopping block,_ he thought to himself.

That night, after the elimination ceremony, Mal left the bonfire, but Zoey and Duncan stayed behind to talk some more.

"Have you done anymore thinking about what I said?" said Duncan.

"The way Mike was fighting Izzy was a bit concerning, I didn't think Mike was capable of that. But it doesn't prove anything."

"Listen Zoey, I saw things in juvie, things you wouldn't believe. Mal was the leader of the wolf pack, and he was only eight years old! You really don't want to know what he did to win dominance, but let's just say that it was almost enough to steer me off the delinquent path. Almost, I'm the baddest of the bad."

"You don't need to prove your toughness, I know you're insecure about it."

"I'm not insecure about anything!" he took a breath to calm down. "Look, Mal is not someone you mess with, you try to steer way clear of him. Mal doesn't care about anyone, he's playing nice now, but he won't for long."

"How do I know you're not trying to trick me?"

"Do I look like I'm goofing off here? I'm serious about Mal, I used to share a cell with the guy! No one knows him better than I do, trust me. He told me he burned his parent's house to the ground."

"I think of you as a friend, Duncan, I really do. And I don't hold your juvie record against you, but comparing the two of you, Mike is more trustworthy."

"You're only saying that because you don't want to consider the possibility that I could be right, that Mal is the real deal."

"That's a little true, but can you blame me? What if you found out that Gwen or Courtney aren't who you thought they were?"

"It wouldn't matter, I'm not dating either of them anymore." He tried to play cool like he didn't care, but she could see just the tiniest bit of sadness and regret in his eyes.

"You made mistakes, everyone messes up in relationships sometimes." She put a hand on his shoulder, which he didn't shrug off. "If you ever get another chance with either of them, don't let your eyes wander to other girls, show her how important she is to you."

"Yeah, whatever. But still though, whether you choose to believe me or not, keep an eye on him. I'm not trying to trick you, I'm trying to save your life."

He got up and walked away. Zoey knew Duncan was telling the truth, she couldn't lie to herself. But just because Mike might have a bad alternate personality, that didn't mean it was back now, and there was no proof that Mal was the dominant one. Just thinking about that possibility made her cringe. What if the boy she'd given her heart to wasn't real? The love they shared couldn't be fake, could it? It felt too real, too powerful to be a lie. Mal had to be just another alter, he just had to be.

She went to find Cameron and they compared notes. His conversation with Mike was a good sign. She was still worried, but not as much as before. After their talk, she went to get ready for bed.

Mal was sitting on the edge of the dock while everyone else prepared for bed. He was making sure all was as it should be inside his head, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He resisted the impulse to smack it away.

"Hey Mike, aren't you going to bed?" asked Zoey with a yawn.

"I will soon, I'm just not sleepy yet. You go on without me."

"Let me look at your head, I want to see if the bump is looking any better." He leaned over and she looked. "Mike, the bump isn't a bump any more, it's bruised and it looks terrible. It should be improving, but instead it looks like someone dumped a bucket of bricks on your head. I'm really worried now."

"Izzy got in a few nasty hits, but I've had worse."

"Any worse and you'd be in a coma," she said as she sat down beside him.

"I appreciate you looking out for me, but you don't need to, really. I'm not a China doll that you have to handle with care, I can take care of myself. I survived the first sixteen years on my own, I don't need someone hovering over me."

She felt bad, she didn't want him to think that she thought he couldn't take care of himself, so she changed the subject. "Did your plan work?"

"Not exactly. My other personalities are still AWOL, but it proved to me that everything is okay. I was making a big deal over nothing, I always do that. I've changed my mind about going home, I really think I have a shot at the million."

"Are you sure about this? I don't want you to leave, but maybe it's for the best. I'm so worried about you. I know you can take care of yourself, but you're not an island." Her toes touched the water, sending out ripples. He internally sighed.

"You and Cam both, you worry too much. I'm fine, really."

"Is it wrong to worry about my boyfriend after he got knocked out by a blow to the head and then started acting odd?"

"My personalities haven't been showing up, so that means for once I haven't been acting odd. It's like you like me better with a disorder, you don't want me by myself. Did Manitoba win your heart?"

"That's not what I meant at all and you know it. I love you, Mike, not your personalities."

"You've got a normal boyfriend now, you should be happy. I'm happy, you should be happy with me. Am I too normal for you?"

"That's not what I meant either. Duncan's concerned, too. I just want to help you, but I don't know how."

"Zoey," he said as he tilted up her chin to look in her eyes. "This is the start of a new beginning for me, for both of us. I know it seems strange now, but we'll get used to it. You're an amazing girl, Zoey. You've seen me at my worst and you put up with me anyway. And now that I'm cured, you don't have to worry so much. I'm so thankful to know you'll always be by my side, I can do anything as long as I've got you."

"I'm sorry, I just want to make sure you're okay. I don't want anything to happen to you, not if I can help it."

She laid her head on his shoulder and held his hand. He smiled as an idea came to him. He let Mike see out so he could see Zoey cuddling up to him. He put an arm around her and pulled her in closer. "Everything is going to be all right, I promise," he whispered. He tilted her chin up again and cupped her cheek, and he kissed her.

Mike shouted, _"No! Zoey run away, get away from him! That's not me! That's not me!"_

He had been trying to move the boulder he was chained to, but he fell to his knees and put his head in his hands in despair. What awful things might he do to her? And she would never know it wasn't him, she'd never know about Mal. The idea of Mal hurting her in some way was appalling, and there were so many ways he could do it. He could dump her, tell her he never loved her. He could manipulate her into getting eliminated. He could get her hurt in one of the challenges, or he could kill her, plain and simple. He had to get free somehow, he had to get his mind back and save Zoey, and possibly everyone else.


	25. The Real You

Mike's salvation came from the most unlikely of places.

During the boat race, Mike was still trying to break out when someone approached him. It was one of the half-formed alters, though it was only there for a second. It came from behind him and made sure Mike didn't see him. It was the same one that had mocked Mal before with the sword. He took that same sword and laid it behind him at his feet. The alter then left and disappeared into the shadows.

"_I'm never going to get out of here!"_ Mike yelled in despair. He took a step back and stepped on something. He looked down and saw a glimmering sword.

"_Where did this come from?"_ he said as he picked it up. He admired it for a moment, and then used it to cut through his chains. It cut through them with ease.

"_I'm free! I can't believe it, I'm free! Now to take Mal down!"_

Mike took off running for the dark tower in the distance. He didn't know that Mal had seen what had happened. Instead of stopping him, he killed the alter that had helped him, as he had said he would. He was tired of letting it hang around, but nonexistence was a relief to it.

Mike walked a long ways, and saw where his main alters lived. There was the center, where they would hang out together, but they each had a place of their own. Manitoba's place was a jungle, with animals to catch and treasure to find. Vito's was a dance club, but it also had an area for him to lift weights and work on his tan. Svetlana's had a place to practice her gymnastics, as well as a ballerina studio and an ice rink. Chester's didn't have very much, it was a simple, quiet place to go to where the only voice he could hear was his own.

Mike soon came upon Chester, who was rolling a stone up a hill and looked about half dead. Chester was bald and wearing overalls, and he had jade green eyes. He had never been so happy to see him in all his life.

"_Chester, what are you doing?"_

Chester managed to get the stone up the hill, but it just rolled down again. Chester walked down the hill, but stumbled and fell. He tried to stand but fell on his face. Mike ran to up him and let him lean on him and helped him walk the rest of the way down. Chester was very weak, Mike could see.

"_Mal's idea of torture,"_ he panted. _"I have to roll this dumb rock up the hills for eternity."_

"_Maybe you can help me fight him and get control of my mind again!"_

"_Who, Mal? Why, he's the whippiest snapping whippersnapper that ever snapped a-"_

"_Chester! Will you help me?"_

"_Ah, what the heck, I'm with ya, Mike."_

Mike used the sword to cut through his chains.

"_All right, let's go! To the weird, creepy tower!"_

"_Yeah! Oh boy, this is gonna probably end badly." _

He and Chester walked a while, until Mike heard Zoey calling out to him for help. He mustered up all his strength, he had to get to her and help her. To his shock, he was able to take back control. He was very confused, he was on a boat in the water and he had no idea how he'd gotten there or why he was there. He heard Zoey scream again, but before he could do anything about it Mal took control again. Mike screamed and tried to take control again, Zoey could be dying out there and Mal would let it happen! But he was powerless, there was nothing he could do. It made him all the more determined to get to the tower and take Mal down.

* * *

><p>Jack and Holly had been watching Mal act as Mike and it was breaking their hearts. It was bad enough when Mike had hurt himself to try to cure himself, and now he showed no signs of returning.<p>

As the newest episode was beginning, with the challenge being a boat race, there was a knock at their door. Holly went to answer it.

"Trent, what are you doing here? And who's this with you?"

"This is Leshawna, she's a friend of Mike's, too."

"We came to watch the show with you, we're worried about Mike," said Leshawna.

Before Holly could respond, another car pulled up in their driveway. Dr. Lace stepped out.

"Dr. Lace, you too?"

She nodded. "I'm very concerned about Mike's wellbeing, and I just couldn't stand to watch it at home. My husband didn't want me to come over just for this, but he'll have to deal with it."

"Well, come inside." They didn't receive guests too often, but they didn't mind having them. They all found places on the couch or on the floor to watch.

"Was this alter showing any signs at all of coming out before he went on the show?" asked Dr. Lace during the first commercial break.

"No, Mike was just fine," said Jack. "Nothing out of the ordinary, by his standards, anyway."

"It's the personality from the asylum!" said Holly. "Of course he decides to show himself again when he's out of reach of us or any doctors."

"What do you mean, from the asylum?" said Trent.

"We don't know much about Mike's past, the most we know was that he was abused, and that before he came to us he was institutionalized. The doctors spoke of an alter just like this, I thought they were exaggerating, but they weren't."

"Did Mike know about this?" asked Leshawna.

"He was ten years old, he couldn't have handled that," said Jack.

"He's not ten years old anymore, you should have told him so he could stop him."

"How can he fight Mal? Mal's a force of nature," said Trent.

"He could have done something. At least he would have known to look out for him."

"We warned him of the possibility of one like this existing," said Dr. Lace. "We just never told him that we knew for a fact he had one."

"We coddle him, okay?" said Holly. "It feels like the world is always beating him down. Someone should coddle him."

"But isn't it possible that Mike isn't even aware that his brain's been hijacked?" said Leshawna. "What if he's not even trying to fight back because he's asleep?"

There was silence for a long moment. Dr. Lace said, "I have considered the possibility."

"Maybe that's how Mal has held onto control for so long," said Jack.

"Chris needs to do something about it, but of course he won't, not as long as it builds onto the drama," Holly bemoaned.

"Have you called the production company? Have you called anyone?" asked Dr. Lace.

"Of course we have!" Holly practically shouted. "We've called dozens of times, but all we get is a bunch of legal jargon that basically boils down to 'Mike is our property until the season is finished.' My poor baby needs help, but instead he's being used for ratings! By the time the season is over, it might be too late for him!"

Satchimo sat by the TV, and whenever they showed Mal he would growl and bark. They wondered how the dog could possibly know, especially when he was on TV and miles from home. But he knew, and he wanted to protect Mike.

At one point in the challenge, Mike returned. He was disoriented, he didn't know why he was on a boat or what was going on. All at once, everyone in the room started screaming.

"Go Mike! Fight him! Fight him off!" Trent screamed.

"Keep him away, you can do it!" Jack screamed.

"Don't let him come back! Mal's just an alter, you can beat him!" screamed Leshawna.

"Fight him, baby! Fight him with everything you've got!" Holly screamed.

"Stop him Mike! Don't give him control back, it's your mind, not his!" Dr. Lace screamed loudest of all.

Satchimo barked like crazy, partly because of all the loud noise, and partly because he recognized his master on the screen.

"No!" they all yelled when Mal took back control only seconds later.

"I saw him, he was there, he came back for a second!" said Holly. She'd had hope for just a second, but it was snatched away, making her feel worse.

"He heard Zoey, and he came back, but it wasn't enough," said Jack, feeling distraught.

"Could you tell if he's aware of Mal?" asked Trent.

"No, I couldn't," said Dr. Lace as she rubbed her temples. "He was confused, but that could just be because Mal's been in control for so long and he didn't recognize his surroundings."

"My buddy might not even know he needs help," said Trent sadly.

Leshawna was the only one still paying attention to the TV, where Zoey had put herself in harm's way to see if Mike would save her. "You'd better not let Zoey become fish food, Mal, or I will kick your non-existent butt into the next century!"

To their immense relief, Mal rescued Zoey. "At least he's got some decency."

"No, he didn't do it to help her, he did it to keep from blowing his cover!" said Leshawna. "Zoey, look at him! He's not your man!"

"Zoey tries to see the best in everyone, and Mal is taking advantage of that," said Trent.

They watched the rest of the episode. Seeing Mike was a good sign, but the fact that Mal had been able to take back control so quickly and easily was very troubling and discouraging.

After the episode ended, the guests got up to leave. "Mind if we come back for the next episode? We didn't really ask when we came in."

"Sure, come back anytime," said Jack.

Leshawna hugged Holly tightly and said, "Mike's gonna get through this, he's gonna beat Mal and make him sorry he ever dared cross him. He'll come back home, he'll be okay, I'm sure of it." She was very worried about Mike and she wasn't very confident that he would be coming back, but she knew his parents needed someone to tell them he would be okay, even if he wasn't.

She and Trent left. Dr. Lace spoke in a voice that was slightly hoarse from yelling, "I'll make some calls of my own, but I can't guarantee I'll get anywhere. No matter what state Mike is in after the show ends, I'll do what I can to bring him back, I won't give up on him. If you wouldn't mind, I'll be coming over for the next episode, and the ones after that. It's unprofessional of me, but I'm very worried about him and I want him to be okay."

She left and closed the door, and Holly put her arms around Jack.

"Do you think they're right? Do you think Mike isn't fighting back because he's not aware of what's going on?"

"I don't know. It's awful to think that there's a war going on in his head and he might not even know it. If Mal stays in control permanently…" He could hardly get the words out. "At least he would never know what happened, and he wouldn't suffer. But whether he's aware or not, he's a prisoner."

It seemed that no matter how independent Mike became, he was still always a prisoner.

_Where have you gone, Mike?_ They found themselves asking sometimes when one of his personalities was in control for a very long time.

_Why don't you come back? _

_Come back and stay, don't leave us._

All those times before, they knew Mike would come back sooner or later. This time, there was no guarantee. They might never see their son again.

"What are we going to do if Mal has complete control and Mike can't come back?" asked Holly.

Jack pulled her in closer as she started to cry. He felt like crying himself.

"I don't know. I don't even want to consider it. I guess he would have to be institutionalized, but I couldn't bear that."

"If they lock him away, they better lock me away too. I would lose my mind if that happened to my baby."

"We have to have hope, and we'll do whatever we have to do to get Mike back. Zoey has helped him before, maybe she can reach him and help him fight back."

"She's our only hope."

* * *

><p>After the votes were rigged against Cameron, he wasn't sure who he could trust. Mike and Zoey were the only ones he believed were on his side, but even then he was still worried about Mike. They'd found evidence under his bed, but it didn't make sense for him to hide it there and then suggest they search the cabin. It was so unlike him when he made him kiss Courtney all for strategy, Mike wouldn't want to ruin someone else's relationship. Everyone knew Courtney was only using Scott to get ahead, but even then Mike wouldn't do that. His logical brain couldn't handle all this conflicting evidence. All this and more made him suspicious, but at the same time, Mike was his best friend, and he didn't want to ruin their friendship.<p>

When they were in the cave, looking for Chris after Ezekiel took him, Mike was all he had. He was determined to believe in him.

After he fell in the hole, as he was hanging on the root for dear life, waiting for Mike to get back and rescue him, he was forced to accept the fact that he had been wrong to trust him. He had wanted to believe in him so badly, but he couldn't deny it anymore. But now it was too late to do anything about it, he was about to fall to his death.

He fell, but he landed safely in water. Gwen saved him, and he now trusted her again. Mike had lied about her. To repay his debt to her he let her win, but was horribly injured in the process, and he had to go back to the bubble. He swore he'd never go back, but here he was.

Before he was sent home due to his injuries, Mal quietly revealed himself to him. "Mike's gone. I'm Mal, and I let you fall. So long, sucker."

He screamed, though it was muffled by the bandages and the bubble. He screamed in terror of Mal, and how close he had come to dying at his hands. But mostly, he screamed because he knew his best friend was gone forever, he was never coming back.

* * *

><p>In between challenges, Mal got bored and he needed entertainment. He found it in an intern named Nicki.<p>

"Hey Zoey, I think it's really great how you and Gwen have become such good friends," Mal commented one day after breakfast.

"Yeah, she's really great."

"You two should hang out more, get to know each other better. Courtney, too."

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't want to monopolize your time, and you must be so tired from all these challenges, you could use a break. Besides, don't you want some girl time?"

"Well sure, I'd like girl time."

"And I know they would, too. You should have some fun today, just the three of you."

"But then it would just be you, Alejandro, and Scott."

"Oh, I can handle them. And who knows, maybe we can be friends. Weirder things have happened."

"Okay, I will. It sounds like fun."

Gwen let Zoey and Courtney both come into the spa hotel. She had won it in the last challenge. They all got facials and massages in the hotel.

"Thanks for letting us come in here, Gwen," said Zoey as an intern rubbed her shoulders.

"Yeah, I missed the pampering," Courtney sighed in relaxation.

"I really needed the girl time," said Gwen.

The butler appeared and said, "I caught Scott trying to sneak rat traps into tonight's dinner. He has been sent away."

"How can you stand him, Courtney?" Gwen asked.

"The things I do to get ahead in the game," said Courtney as she shook her head. "Just a little while longer and I can end the charade. Can you imagine if I really did like him, though? I know it's surprising, but I don't find pit-sniffing weasels very attractive."

They laughed, and then Gwen said, "Speaking of guys, how are you and Mike doing, Zoey? I heard you let yourself almost get eaten by piranhas, why?"

"I've been worried about him, Mike returns when I'm in danger so… I wanted to see if he would save me."

"Don't tell me you fell for Duncan's trick," said Gwen. "If he really wanted us to believe someone here is evil, he should have chosen a bad person, someone from the villain team."

"I don't think he was trying to trick me."

"Do you think Duncan's doing okay in jail?" asked Courtney, looking down at her hands. "Not that I care."

"I'm sure he's fine, he can take care of himself," said Gwen.

"Yeah, yeah he's fine," said Courtney with a nervous chuckle.

"I'm not worried as much about Mike now, though. He saved me from the piranhas, Mal wouldn't do that."

"Sure he would, to keep up appearances," said Courtney. "Think about Alejandro last season. He saved a lot of people's butts, not because he cared, but because he didn't want to give himself away."

"But Mike's fine, Zoey. He'd never hurt anyone."

"Mike's not always Mike, though," said Zoey quietly.

"It's not that far-fetched," said Courtney. "People aren't always what they seem. Mike could be plotting against everyone, a million dollars drives people to things they normally wouldn't do."

"Yeah, and Beth is his sidekick," Gwen scoffed.

"What am I going to do if Mal is the original, and Mike's just an alter? I don't know what I would do," said Zoey as she hugged her arms around her stomach.

No one said anymore after that. They didn't know what to say.

Meanwhile, Mal was off having some fun on his own. He went behind the scenes where the interns did most of their work. He spotted Nicki, the intern he had singled out. She had her hair pulled back in an auburn braid with blue tips. She spotted him and ran over to see him.

"Hi Mal." The interns were already aware that he was Mal, they had been since he had first arrived because they saw all the confessional footage, so there was no need for him to act as Mike here. They knew better than to tell any of the contestants, it would kill the drama and give Mal reason to kill them. Most of them stayed away from him, but Nicki took the hook and she took it hard.

"Hey Nicki." He pulled her in for a kiss. "Did you do something different with your hair this morning? It looks great. But then again, you always look gorgeous."

She giggled and said, "And you're looking hot as always."

"I hope Chris hasn't been working you too hard." Sometimes Mal even wondered what the point of all this was. He had tricked so many people into trusting him in the past by dazzling them or by hypnotizing them with his eyes and his words, it just seemed too easy. How many people had he used in the past, only to double-cross them and leave them confused and betrayed? It just seemed like bad sport if everyone he met was a huge idiot. For once, he just wanted tricking someone to be a challenge. With Zoey it was a little bit, but not quite what was he was looking for. Oh well, it was still fun, and it had its uses. Nicki was empty-headed and a bore, but at least she could be of use.

"A little, but my day just got a whole lot better."

"Hey, I was wondering… no, nevermind. It's stupid, forget I said anything."

"What is it?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could show me something. Since you work for Chris, you must know what goes into making all these challenges."

"Oh, do I ever."

"I was wondering if you could give me the grand tour. It would be so cool of you."

"I don't know, I could lose my job," said Nicki as she bit her lip.

"Oh no, I don't want to get you into trouble. I would never forgive myself if I cost you your job. I'll just go and leave you to your work. Thanks anyway, Nicki."

"Wait! If we're really quiet and sneaky about it, we should be able to get away with it. I know where the cameras are hidden, I can maneuver us past them so we don't get caught."

"Nicki, you're a genius!"

Nicki led him by the hand to challenges being set up. He saw one that looked like a volcano with several levels. He wondered what it was supposed to be.

"The next challenge is an obstacle course. It'll be brutal, but I know you'll do great in it."

"You must be really smart if they let you help set these challenges up. It must be dangerous, I know how much Chris loves explosions."

"Oh, you have no idea. He has a huge warehouse full of explosives, but the producers only let him use about a quarter of it."

"A warehouse of explosives? No way, you're making that up."

"I'm not! You should see it, it's insane!"

"I won't believe it until I see it."

"Fine, I'll show you."

Nicki led him in another direction until they came to a huge warehouse, just like she said. "Here's where Chris keeps all the explosives," said Nicki. She opened the door with a card key and let him go inside.

This was what he had been after, and it was better than he had ever dared hope, this was the motherload. Every inch of space was covered in dynamite and bombs of all shapes and sizes. He had hit the jackpot.

"What do you think?"

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he said in awe.

"Well, maybe not the most beautiful thing," she said as she ran her fingers up his chest. "Is your cabin empty? What do you say we go to your place. I'll show you a better time than your little redhead ever could."

She tried to kiss him, but he shoved her away and said, "Nah."

"What do you mean?" her face fell a little.

"What you're asking is disgusting and a complete waste of my time. I can't see myself getting any enjoyment out of it."

"But…But I thought we had a connection. I thought you liked me. And… I like you."

"Only because I planted the seed, I just made you think it was your idea. I've been doing it for years, you're nothing special."

"What was the point of all this? You were just using me?"

"You made for a nice distraction, and you served another purpose, as well," he said as he gestured to the explosives.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to blow up the island as a little gift to myself."

"But then, how will you get the money?"

"The money has never been a concern of mine, I just want to cause as much chaos as possible, and this is perfect for my cause. I'm going to wait until after I win, or I'll start sooner if I get kicked out. Whatever happens, one way or another, this island is going to sink."

She slapped him across the face, and he didn't try to stop her.

"I'm going to tell Chris, I'm going to tell Zoey, I'm going to tell everyone what you are!"

He frowned at her and took out the knife he had taken from Chef's kitchen. He held it to her throat and calmly said, "You go ahead and do that, I won't try to stop you. Shout it out, announce it over the intercom, scream it to the entire world, I don't care. But if you do, the morning after, they're going to find your body hanging upside down in a tree, the birds eating whatever's left. Go ahead, tell everyone, but you might want to stop and think first. I imagine this would be the first time in years you've done so."

She started to sweat when she saw the knife. She had spent hours daydreaming about his body pressed against hers, and the idea of him holding a knife to her throat had thrilled her. In those daydreams she'd been sure that, though he might threaten her, he would never hurt her because he loved her. She could tame the beast inside and they'd be happy together forever. But now, with the knife at her throat, she realized how stupid that delusion had been. She tried to act cool, like all this was her idea. "I won't tell anyone, if only because I hate this place and I want to see it destroyed."

"Good choice. Toodles," he said as he tossed a stick of dynamite into the air and caught it.

She took off running. Her attempts at seduction made him think of how much Mike loved Zoey and how much value he placed on all the relationships in his life. "Pathetic." At least she was too upset to notice he swiped her key card.

He got straight to work, and it was nighttime before he stopped setting everything up. There was still some more work to do, but he could finish it later. For now though, he had to go back so Zoey wouldn't come looking for him. He looked forward to getting rid of her.

He passed by Chris' trailer on his way and could hear him retching violently in his trailer. He knew Chef was doing the same in his. There was supposed to have been a challenge today, but Mal had postponed it. Chris must not have noticed the secret ingredient he added to his luxury food, and there's no way you could detect anything wrong in Chef's cooking since it was all wrong. He was careful about it though, no host would mean no show, and since Chef did most of the work, he also had to be spared. But that didn't mean he couldn't give them just under a lethal dose of poison. He laughed to himself as he listened to Chris' suffering.

He went back to sit on the dock, whistling to himself.

"Hey Mike," said Zoey as she ran over to him a while later. "We had a great time, thanks for coming up with the idea. I brought one of my CDs of indie music, you want to listen to music together?"

He clutched his head and said, "Oh, I'd love to, but I've got a migraine." _That music is what would give me a migraine, _he thought.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, it should be gone by morning. I'm going to bed, goodnight, Zoey."

"Goodnight…" She hesitated. "Mike."

They both went back to their cabin. Before going to bed, Zoey took out her diary and started writing.

_Dear Diary,_

_I'm so worried about Mike, I don't know what to do. Most of the time he seems normal, but things keep happening that say otherwise. He hardly eats anything, not even when we're in the spa hotel. He's not sleeping very much either, he's got dark circles under his eyes that look like bruises. I feel kind of uneasy around him, I can't explain what it is but his presence unsettles me. It's been happening ever since he got hit on the head and broke Cam's glasses. I wonder what he did today, when I was with Gwen and Courtney. Something tells me he suggested it because he wanted me out of the way for a while. Or maybe I'm just paranoid._

_Every day Mike seems to be fine, but I can't get rid of the feeling that he's not. He's been doing questionable things that give credence to what Duncan said about Mal, but if he's right, what am I going to do? How would I go about bringing Mike back? Would it even be possible? And if not, what would become of him? I can't just abandon him, but I don't know what to do. I have to help him somehow, I know Mike is in there somewhere. I really hope I'm wrong about him, but if I'm not… I don't even want to think about it._

_He wants me to be happy for him. I want to be happy for him. If he really is cured, it's the best thing that could ever happen to him, but I can't stop worrying. I don't know what it's like, living with MPD, I can't ever understand what it feels like. I feel like I'm being ignorant and insensitive, I feel like an awful person for pushing the issue and ruining Mike's happiness. I don't want him to think I don't trust him. He doesn't have many people in his life that care about him, it would hurt him so much to know that I even suspect him. _

_I just feel so conflicted. I'm torn between trusting Mike and suspecting Mal. What if Duncan was right, and Mal is the original and is in control now? Or what if I'm wrong and I break Mike's heart? There's no easy answer here. I feel like such a terrible girlfriend for not being able to see the truth in his eyes._

* * *

><p>As Mike and Chester walked, Mike quietly sang Zoey's favorite songs under his breath.<p>

"_Quit making noise! All this walking is bad enough on its own, the last thing I need to hear is your racket!"_

"_It makes me feel closer to her. I might never see her again, singing her favorites is comforting."_

"_Zoey wouldn't know music if it bit her in the butt!"_ But he didn't say any more about it and let Mike continue.

After a while, Mike stopped singing and said, _"One of the others must be around here somewhere. Over there, look! I see someone."_

Mike ran ahead and Chester worked to try to keep up. He already wasn't strong, but he was still weak from Mal's torment.

"_Svetlana, what are you doing?"_ he asked. She was chained to a boulder holding a ballerina pose on one foot. She looked terrified and exhausted from holding that pose for so long. She had long, chestnut brown hair pulled back in a bun, and she was small and pixie-like. She wore a jacket and pants over a pink leotard and had bright blue eyes.

"_Do not be distracting me!_ _Svetlana must hold zis pose, or she vill fall and die!"_

"_Fall where? You're perfectly safe, Svetlana."_

"_Are you crazy? Ze ground is gone, zis little sliver of ground is all zat is left."_

"_Do you see the rock you're chained to?"_

"_If Svetlana vas chained to somezing, she vould use it to get across!"_

"_Mal must be altering your perception, making you think there's danger when there is none. Hold on Svetlana, I'm coming to help!"_

"_No! Stay back, you are about to fall!"_

"_It's all right Svetlana, you're going to be fine."_ It was unnerving seeing Svetlana so scared when she was normally so sure of herself. Slowly, just in case there really was no ground and he just couldn't see it, he walked over to the rock. But before he could do anything, she started to fade in and out. She cried out in pain.

"_Svetlana, what's wrong?"_

"_It's him!"_

"_Fight it Svetlana! Fight Mal!" _

She couldn't do it, not as long as she was in that chain. He cut the chain, freeing her. She stopped fading and she immediately relaxed. She threw herself at Mike and embraced him.

"_Ze ground is back, Svetlana is safe! Hoorah! Svetlana helps you now!"_

* * *

><p>The day of the next challenge, the ice cream challenge, Mal was hard at work. He'd selected Courtney as his next target, and he knew just how to get rid of her. He made a chart showing which contestants Courtney planned to get rid of and in what order. He made sure to draw them as poorly as possible, and even drew Scott a tail.<p>

When he showed the chart to everyone, they were all shocked, as he had planned. "I found it in the confessional, it must have slipped out of her pocket. Great plan by the way, not how I want it to go down, but still."

"Second last? Right to the end, my butt!"

"You gave me a tail?! Wow!"

"Wait, no, I didn't make this! I don't know where it came from, but I didn't do it! Mike's lying!"

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger. All of you are my friends, I thought you deserved to know that one of your so-called friends is plotting against you. I was just trying to look out for all of you."

"Gwen, Zoey, we're friends, don't you believe me?"

"Mike wouldn't lie, but we all know what measures you'll take to win," said Gwen bitterly.

"I want to give you the benefit of the doubt, Courtney," said Zoey, feeling hurt that she wanted her gone next. She felt bad about not believing her, but either she was lying, or Mike was. "But I don't know if I can."

"I swear I didn't make this!" said Courtney, but no one would believe her, and she was eliminated later that day. Her elimination made Zoey feel even more emotionally exhausted than before. She was being pulled in two different directions and she didn't know which was the right one.

* * *

><p>"<em>I think Mal is getting weaker,"<em> said Mike.

"_So am I, you try pushing a boulder up a hill as many times as I have and see how energized you are. I gotta sit down."_

"_Sitting is for after victory!"_

"_Who asked you, comrade?"_

"_What the heck?"_ said Mike as he saw Vito pulling a rope tied around a giant statue.

"_Ayo! A little help here!"_

Mike and Svetlana rushed over and grabbed the rope, and Chester joined in and added what little strength he had. They gritted their teeth and strained to raise the statue. At first it seemed that the statue was too heavy and they wouldn't be able to do it, but they refused to give up. They all pulled until finally the statue was raised and standing on its own. They all collapsed on the ground, panting for air.

Mike looked up at the statue they had just raised up. It was a huge monument to Mal. He was standing proud and tall with a royal robe draped over his shoulders. In his hand was a mighty scepter, and on his head was a regal jeweled crown. The statue's eyes seemed to see right through him, as though it were the real deal.

"_Never thought I'd be happy to see you losers."_

"_The feeling is mutual,"_ said Chester.

"_Vito, why did you make this?"_

"_Oh, you know, I just love Mal so much I decided to raise a monument to him so I could always admire his beautiful face and kneel before him like a god. What do you think?!"_

"_Okay, sorry, dumb question."_

Vito was tall and muscular, and he had the perfect tan. He had a tattoo on his shoulder, and he had jet black hair that was slicked back and amber eyes with flecks of green in them. He pushed another slab of stone into place, it was so big and heavy he could barely move it. He took out his hammer and chisel and started sculpting a second Mal monument.

"_Listen Vito, you've got to come with us. We need you if we're going to defeat Mal."_

"_Defeat Mal? Not possible."_

"_Come on Vito, don't say that, we can beat him!"_

"_I-I-I didn't say nothin!"_

"_So who did?"_

"_Me!"_

They all looked up and saw that the statue really was looking at them now, and its lips were moving. It pointed the scepter at Mike's chest and said, _"Don't think I don't know about your little quest, Mike. If I wanted, I could force you back to square one and break that sword in half. But I'm curious to see how you'll do. I'm waiting for you Mike, and when you reach the end, I will crush you. But let's be realistic, you'll never reach my tower, and even if you could, you could never wield the power hidden there, you're too weak and spineless. You're doomed to fail." _The statue burst into flames. _"You'll never defeat me!"_

Mike put his hands on the lower part of the statue that wasn't burning and pushed it down, breaking it into pieces.

"_I wanted to do that!"_ said Vito.

Mike took his sword and severed Vito's chain. _"Let's go!"_

"_Uh, yeah sure! Wait up!"_

* * *

><p>The day before the treasure hunt challenge, Mal still hadn't found the disk revealing his secret in the spa hotel. Now that he wasn't allowed in there, he was forced to implement plan B: secure Zoey's trust by sweetening her up.<p>

He went to the spa hotel and knocked on the door. Zoey answered it and said, "Oh, hi Mike."

"Hey Zoey, I brought you something." From behind his back he pulled out a bouquet of flowers.

"They're lovely, what's the special occasion?"

"Like I need an excuse to spoil my girlfriend. Would you like to take a walk with me? Go somewhere private?" he said with a charming smile.

"Sure, just let me put these flowers in some water."

As Zoey put the flowers in a vase, she watched him out of the corner of her eye. She decided that she needed to talk to him and ask point blank about what was going on with him, and not leave without some answers. She was tired of this, tired of worrying and not knowing what to do. She had to do something about this, she had to find out for herself who was really in charge in Mike's brain. It could be dangerous if it was Mal she was talking to, but she didn't care, she had to make sure Mike was okay. And if it was Mike, then at least she could rest easier. Either way, they needed to talk.

She went outside with him and let him take her hand. She didn't squeeze it like she normally did. Mal tried to take her deep into the woods, but she pulled back.

"I don't like going far into the woods if I don't have to. You know, with the wild and mutated animals and all." She was glad she had them as an excuse. She couldn't tell him it was because she was afraid to be completely alone with him.

Forcing her to go in would defeat the purpose of this whole charade, so he relented. They sat at the edge of the forest, where they were still alone but someone could come help if they heard her screaming.

"I wanted to talk to you about something, Zoey."

"I need to talk to you about something, too."

"Would you mind if I go first? I really need to talk about this."

"Sure, go ahead."

"I've been having terrible nightmares about my childhood."

That surprised her. "But I thought you couldn't remember any of it."

"It's coming back in flashes in my dreams, I haven't been able to sleep through the night since Scott hit me on the head with that shovel. I think the blow is triggering these dreams, they're so bad I've given up on sleep entirely. That's why I have these circles under my eyes, I'm so tired."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mike. Why don't you tell me about them? Talking about it will help you work through this." Her compassion overruled her suspicion.

She took his hands in hers, and he knew he had her. "Well, in my dreams, I see two people standing over me. I think they're my biological parents. They yell at me and beat me. My mom never feeds me and she locks me away in the dark. My dad hits me and breaks my bones, sometimes he even burns me."

"That's awful," she said quietly. Her eyes pricked with tears.

"The worst part is what happens at the end of each dream." Mal made his eyes fill with tears for this part. "The house is burning down around me, my lungs are choked with smoke and my body is an inferno. My parents are already dead in the fire, and I'm next. I'm dying in that dream, but how could I be dying if I'm here now? Why is my house on fire? What happened to me, Zoey? Why can't I remember anything from when I was growing up? I'm so lost and confused and I don't know what to do."

"It's okay, I'm here."

"No, no you're not. Duncan made up that rumor about me having an evil personality to split us apart, and it worked. Everyone thinks I'm the bad guy when I didn't do anything. Do you know what it's like to always be the guy everyone hates? It hurts so much. And I can see that it's working on you, too. You're scared of me, you're pulling away. I want to earn back your trust along with everyone else's, but I don't think I can. I thought you would be the one person who would stick by me no matter what, but I guess I was wrong. And if you've given up on me, I see no reason why I shouldn't just give up on myself."

"No, don't ever think that. I haven't given up on you, I know you're still Mike. I'm staying right here by your side."

"Thanks Zoey, I knew you would never abandon me. You make me feel normal, you make me so happy. Now, what did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, um… I need to ask you something." This was it, she was going to get some answers. She felt like the most evil and terrible person on earth for this, with him crying and pouring out his soul to her, but it had to be done. "You know the gift you gave me last year?"

"The bracelet? Of course I do, how could I forget that? That was the best day of my life."

"Yeah, the bracelet. Gwen mentioned it yesterday, she told me how much she likes it. She was wondering where you got it, she wants to get one to give to a guy she likes. I told her I would ask you."

"I got it as a gag gift in my first talent show. The jerks who used to bully me gave it to me to make fun of me. I don't know why I still had it, but it somehow ended up in my suitcase. I had nothing else to give you, I know it wasn't a great gift but it was all I had. But after I win, I'll buy you all the jewelry you could ever want."

"And I'll be your beautiful queen, right?" she said with a smile.

"Oh yes. And we'll be happy together, as long as we live."

"Do you think you'll be able to sleep without nightmares tonight?"

"I just might. I'll be dreaming of you, instead. Oh Zoey, I don't know what I would do without you."

He made tears run down his face, and she pulled him in for a hug. Mal smiled wickedly, knowing his plan was a success. He needed more support than just hers, though. Next he would target Scott for an alliance to get rid of Gwen. He had everyone in the palm of his hand.

Zoey hugged him tightly, but she was filled with a seething rage. It was a necklace, not a bracelet. It was a thoughtful gift from Trent, not a joke. He failed the test, never in a million years would Mike forget that. Mike wasn't the one hugging her, Mal was. She kept quiet, calling his bluff now would be disastrous. But she was going to do something, she started working on a plan in her mind.

_I'll save you, Mike. You just have to wait a little longer,_ she thought to herself.


	26. The Final Showdown

"_Manitoba! Finally!"_ said Mike.

"_Svetlana is so glad you are okay!"_ said Svetlana as she hugged him.

"_I was worried about you too, Sugar Glider, you're a sight for sore eyes. But I can't talk now, big quota to fill." _Manitoba was dressed in a black leather jacket over a white shirt. He had shaggy, dirty blond hair underneath a black fedora, and he had violet eyes.

"_What's Mal making you do?"_

"_See them clouds? Them's your dreams. My job's to get rid of 'em so you can never enjoy 'em again."_

He caught one and dragged it down with a rope. Mike looked into the cloud.

"_It's the dream I had about kissing Zoey in the rain. Oh, I loved that dream!"_

"_So romantical!"_ said Svetlana.

Manitoba threw it into the fire as though it were garbage.

"_Ah! Don't do that!"_

"_Love to, mate, but Mal's the boss."_

"_As soon as I regain control, the first thing I'm going to do is find Zoey and give her a real kiss, one that Mal won't be able to ruin."_ Manitoba tossed another dream into the flames. _"Ah, come on! Stop burning up my dreams."_

"_Ah well, we all gotta go sometime," _shrugged Manitoba.

"_Don't you want to be free?" _asked Mike.

"_But even if we could beat Mal, that would just put you back in charge. So, how's that make me free?"_

"_No way, he's right! Why should you get all the control?" _Vito demanded.

"'_Cause I'm the first, the original."_

"_Ha! Where's the proof?" _asked Chester.

"_Well, I don't exactly have proof, but I've had most of the control over the years, so I must be the original."_

"_Unless that's what Mal wants you to think. You two blokes came before us, so it's not like we were there to witness," _said Manitoba.

"_He kept you under lock and key, and this ain't even the first time. Shouldn't that be impossible if you're the default?" _asked Vito.

"_I don't know. I mean, he does seem to have a lot more power and control here, he's been doing things in my head that I have no idea how to do." _Mike was quiet for a moment, thinking._ "…Maybe I am just an alternate personality and I never realized it until now. That means everything I am, everything I thought I was, is a lie. Mal let me live a life that wasn't mine, and now he's taking it back. I guess I can't lose anything if it never belonged to me in the first place. Why did he do this to me, why would he make me believe I was real, just for his own amusement? What did I ever do to him?"_

"_Bein' an alter ain't so bad, you'll get used to it after a while," _said Vito._ "Just do what I do and make out with girls during your time out. You know, if Mal ever lets you."_

"_I just can't believe this."_

"_Me neither! Why have I been listening to you this whole time?" _said Chester.

"_Stop!" _cried Svetlana. She felt bad for Mike, Mal was putting him through the same pain he'd gone through when he'd found out the truth for fun. She had to do something, but she had to be careful about how she went about it._ "Who cares who vas ze first, Mike is ze best! He is more patient zan me, more generous zan Chester! Less egotistical zan Manitoba, and he is a better dancer zan Vito!"_

"_Oh ay, ayo!" _he let out a defeated sigh._ "It's true."_

"_Ah thanks, but if I'm not the original-"_

"_Ah, go on ya silly dingo. Think about it, we're trapped in a world Mal created."_

"_Exactly!" _said Chester._ "What was Svetlana's torment?"_

"_Mal made her think that the ground was gone and she was going to fall, he created an illusion. He created a nightmare illusion for me when I first met him."_

"_When Mal looks at a person, he doesn't see a face, he sees their weakness like it was branded on their forehead. And you know what he does with that information? He uses it to manipulate them and make them think things they never would have thought of on their own," _said Chester.

"_He's probably doin' it to everybody on the outside as we speak," _said Manitoba._ "He don't discriminate, he comes after everyone."_

"_I had to listen to him because I knew I could never take him on," _Chester continued.

"_He made Svetlana zink she vas going to fall, Svetlana never falls."_

"_He told me he'd make me like the half-formed alters," _said Vito.

"_We were all afraid of him, and he exploited that weakness. You weren't afraid of him, you're standin' up to him, so he attacked you in another way. Mike, what is one of your biggest weaknesses?" _asked Manitoba.

"_I have so many of them I don't see how Mal could pick just one."_

"_Zere, you see!" _said Svetlana._ "Zat is the veakness Mal used, your fears and insecurities. If you vere more confident, you vould not have believed him so easily ven he told you he vas ze original. He also used Zoey to attack you, he vill use any ammo you give him."_

"_You know, you might not be as powerful as him now, but you might be, someday," _said Manitoba._ "You don't know this place like Mal does, he's got experience, but with time and practice you could learn. Just because he's more powerful now don't mean he's the main one."_

"_Mike, ve know zings zat you don't, Svetlana especially. Ve might tell you someday, but for now you must be trusting us. Zere is more to Mal zan meets ze eye, and I can safely tell you zat he is just an alternate personality, like us. You are ze original."_

Mike didn't believe it, but then he remembered what Dr. Lace had once told him, all those years ago when he had first started seeing her:

"_That's one of the things that separates you from your personalities, the ability to learn, grow, and move on with your life. Your personalities are incapable of developing past the stage they're at now, they'll always be the same._ _The ones that are less developed are stuck in the past and can't move on. Your main ones may be able to learn new things, but they'll always have the same mindsets and they'll stay at the mental age they're at now. They're likely to repeat the same mistakes over and over, but you can learn from yours and avoid them. Your mind will change and grow, and every day you'll become a better Mike than you were yesterday."_

He had made plenty of mistakes in his life, but he learned from them and tried to avoid making them again. He had grown and changed, he wasn't the ten year old they'd found on the dirt road all those years ago, he didn't think the same way. He pulled the red racecar out of his pocket that Carrot Top had given him. That little boy would always be five years old, he couldn't grow or change, none of his alters could. But he had.

When they first found him, he was scared and miserable, and since he couldn't remember his past he couldn't remember ever feeling happiness before, it was a foreign emotion that seemed like a myth. His new family taught him to be happy, they helped shape him into the person he was now. The world had been so scary to him then, even more so after his diagnosis. Over time, the world stopped being so scary, but he still had to hide in shame and self-loathing. At times he'd been so depressed he couldn't imagine ever feeling cheerful again. But Zoey had come into his life, and she had helped him change for the better, as well. He believed in his own self-worth, he didn't hate himself like he used to. He wasn't hiding anymore, he was no longer ashamed of this disorder that wanted to dominate his life. All the people close to him had shaped him in some way, in little ways or big ways. But not only that, he was shaping himself. He was following his dreams, fighting against his own mind every day, and standing up to a world that always seemed to want to tear him down. He couldn't be just an alternate personality, because he was always learning, and he would continue to learn the rest of his life.

Mike felt his confidence rise, and his anger at Mal burst back to life like a flame. _"Nice try Mal, but you haven't won yet!"_

He cut Manitoba's chain. _"Took ya long enough! Come on, I know a shortcut to Mal's guard tower!" _There was a spark of excitement in his eyes now.

"_Guard tower?"_ Mike asked.

"_You still haven't clued in? This whole place is a jail. The tower is the only way in or out."_

They started following Manitoba to the tower, but Chester said, _"Nah, I don't think I can deal with anymore walking, shortcut or not."_

"_Fine, I'll give you a piggy-back."_

Chester jumped on his back and said, _"Giddy-up, slow poke!"_

As they drew nearer to the tower, Manitoba stopped. _"Wait a minute, hold up ya didgeridoos. Mike, if it comes down to a fight with Mal, just how do you plan to take him on?"_

"_With the sword," _said Mike as he held it up.

"_And have you ever used a sword before? If you don't know how to use it, then it's worthless. The greatest weapon in the world is no better than a letter-opener in the wrong hands."_

"_Oh, you're right. I know, let's practice!"_ said Mike. _"Make swords for yourselves, we won't stop until I can use this thing right."_

"_All right, now we're getting' somewhere!"_ Manitoba made dual broadswords for himself. Vito, Chester, and Svetlana sat down to watch them train. Manitoba was the only one with any swordsmanship.

"_Now we'll start slow, but not for long,"_ said Manitoba as he brandished his swords. _"Mal won't show you any mercy, he's not gonna go easy on you just because you're new at this. I'm gonna come at you in the same way."_

"_But don't vorry, Svetlana vill make sure he does not take it too far."_

"_Okay, I'm ready," _said Mike, though he didn't feel ready at all. He couldn't hurt anyone, not even Mal. But at the very least, he had to know how to defend himself.

They watched as Manitoba came at Mike and swung one sword at his head and the other at his middle. Mike blocked the one coming at his head, but couldn't block the other.

"_If you've got two swords comin' at ya, you block the one that'll do more damage and then get out of the way. You've got be quick on your feet, like a jackrabbit."_

"_You must also be agile and flexible," _Svetlana called from the sidelines. "_It is not always enough to be fast. Sword fighting is just a more dangerous form of dancing, so you must be like dancer."_

Manitoba swung his swords at Mike's head with deadly precision. He leaned back, and his swords cut a lock of his hair.

"_But you also gotta put power behind each blow!"_ Vito yelled. _"Don't hold back like a pansy, do some real damage like a man!"_

"_But above all, know that Mal is sneaky and cunning, and he's not above cheating to win. He can come at you from any angle, so you have to be ready on all sides!"_ said Manitoba. He moved quickly and came at Mike from all sides, and he tried to block each blow. He couldn't block them all, but Manitoba wasn't going in for the kill. Mal would do that.

They practiced for a long time. Manitoba tried to be sneaky, like he expected Mal to be, so Mike could get used to it and learn to defend against it. Mike was improving, but he still had a long ways to go.

"_You should stop now, if you keep going Mike vill have no energy left to fight Mal," _said Svetlana.

"_But I'm nowhere near ready, I need more practice! Come at me again!"_

"_She's right, mate. All the practice in the world won't help if you're about to drop dead from exhaustion. We have to keep going to the tower, just remember what we taught you."_

"_It's not like you're gonna be alone in this fight, I want a piece of Mal!"_ said Vito eagerly. _"I don't need a sword, I'll knock him to kingdom come with my fists!"_

"_Ve'll all fight him, he stands no chance against all of us together!" _said Svetlana.

"_Yeah, you're right,"_ said Mike with a smile. _"Together, we're unstoppable!"_

Chester had fallen asleep, but Mike shook him awake and let him get back on his back. He felt his hope and confidence lift. They were almost there, they were so close. Pretty soon they would be inside the tower, and they would find the hidden power Mal had spoken of. He'd be free, and he could finally get back to Zoey.

* * *

><p>The day of the treasure hunting challenge, Zoey was watching the disk she had finally found that contained 'the truth' about Mal. She watched in horror all the things Mal had been doing. She had already figured it out herself, but it was still horrible to see.<p>

The worst part was when Mike had dropped a rock on his head to try to stop Mal. That had been his plan? He'd promised her he'd be safe, knowing full well that his plan would hurt him and that she wouldn't approve. He had hurt himself to protect her, but it completely backfired. She had cried during that part, and tears kept leaking and pouring down her cheeks.

"Oh, Mike."

As soon as the video was over, she went back to her room and started to write in her diary. She had to let out all these emotions or she might explode during a challenge, and she couldn't let Mal see her explode, not yet anyway.

_Mal is real and he's here, he's been here for a long time. How could Mike, who's so sweet and nice to everyone, have an alternate personality like this? But that's not important, what is important is that something has to be done._

_How could I have been so stupid, so blind for so long? I'm Mike's girlfriend, I should have been able to tell that it wasn't really him, I should have known from the start. I should have done something about Mal, but I love Mike more than anything, and I never wanted to believe that he was capable of evil. I guess I looked the other way without ever consciously making the decision to do so, and Mike is paying the price. _

She felt her shock and despair turn to a fierce rage. Her rage made her write faster, she could barely read what she was writing. _He tricked me, manipulated me, and made me feel sorry for him! All he ever did was lie to me, hurt my friends, and keep Mike prisoner. Does Mike even know what's going on? Is he capable of fighting back? Is he still in there at all? I let Mal cry on my shoulder, but the tears were as fake as his heart._

She suddenly remembered Mike's anxiety attack, the one he'd had before they came back to the island._ That half-formed alter tried to warn me, it knew this was going to happen! I kind of feel sorry for it, I wonder what Mal did to it, what he's doing right now to all of them. I hope Mike's okay, I hope they all are._

_I have to do something, but I'm not sure what. Mike returned to himself when he heard me calling his name, needing him before, but will that be enough now? Mal's been in control for so long, it's obvious that he's different from the others. He's a storm, and I'm in the eye. I'm in his good graces now, but the very second I become a threat or I'm no longer useful to him, he'll dispose of me. Would he kill me, would he go that far? I don't know Mal, I don't know what limits he has or if he has any at all. This is a villain I don't understand, and that puts me at a disadvantage. I don't know what Mal's weak spot is, or if he even has one. Mal knows me, he knows my weaknesses and he's been exploiting them since the beginning. He knows exactly which of my buttons to press, when to press them, and how much pressure to use. He has all the power right now, but I'm going to change that._

_I have to make sure he doesn't get eliminated, because then he would be out of my reach. I have to save Mike somehow, and I can't do that if he's on Playa Des Losers. But if he loses, would he even leave? He's an evil alternate personality, would he really care about the rules once they no longer serve him? What lengths will he go to to get his way? What will the repercussions be? And if Mal does do something like that, no matter who eventually wins out and takes charge, Mike will bear the consequences. I have to make sure he doesn't get eliminated, but I won't let him win, either. I don't think I can bring Mike back on my own, he needs a doctor, but Chris won't let anyone in to help until the game is over and he can't milk this anymore. If I win the game, we can get help for Mike and bring him back. I want to do more, but what more can I do? _

_I have to make up for my blindness before, Mike needs me and I haven't been there for him. I'm going to fight for Mike, I don't care what Mal might do to me._

"I promise I'm the same Mike who gave you that bracelet last year," Mal told her with a smile on their way to the challenge.

It took physical effort to not scream at him right there or punch him in the face, but she managed to keep calm and smile. Letting him know she was on to him now would do her no favors. She rubbed Mike's necklace in her pocket to remind her of what she was fighting for. Mal was going down, she would make sure of it.

* * *

><p>"Thanks again for bringing me to the finale!" said Mal as they were meeting for the final challenge. "I know things have been-"<p>

"I didn't do it for you, I did it for Mike! And you can drop the act!"

"Oh, what a relief," said Mal as he fixed his hair the way he liked it. "Pretending to be that boring was really getting to me. What did you see in him?"

"I'll take Mike over evil Mal any day!"

"Oh Zoey, poor naïve, trusting Zoey. Don't you see? There's no longer a choice." He whispered in her ear, "Mike is gone, and he's never coming back."

He laughed as she gasped, and said, "No, it's not true! You're lying to me, all you've ever done is lie to me, so how can you expect me to believe you now?"

"That memory I cried to you about, I didn't make it up, at least, not all of it. My past was very terrible, and my mind is a building that was never really up to code in the first place. I developed this disorder, and my first personality was Mike. I let him have control for all these years, I was just biding my time. He didn't want to believe it either, because in a way, it meant his feelings for you weren't real. I forced him to see the truth, and it broke him. Getting rid of him was much easier after that."

"Show me proof then," said Zoey firmly.

"All right, as you wish. Mike always comes back when he hears you calling for him, when you need him, or does he? In the boat race, I'm the one who saved you, not Mike. If he was still inside my head, he would have overcome me to save you, but he didn't. He never even heard you calling for him, screaming for help. Go ahead, scream his name, let's see if he can hear you."

"Mike!" she screamed. "Mike, please you have to hear me! You have to stop Mal, you have to come back! Mike, I need you!"

She stopped, and they both waited several moments. Then, Mal gasped. "Zoey, what's going on? Are you okay? "

She was about to hug him, but stopped herself. It was too easy, and she wanted it so badly she almost fell for it.

"Zoey, what's wrong? It's me, Mike, I'm back." He took her hands in his, but she tore her hands away and shoved him away from her.

Mal laughed and said, "So you're not quite as ignorant as I thought. I'm almost impressed."

"You're sick, Mal," she said angrily.

He walked on, and she followed behind him. As they walked, Mal said, without turning back to look at her, "You could have saved him."

"What do you mean?"

"I had trouble keeping Mike in line for the first few days, he kept trying to reach out to you for help, but you completely missed it because you kept your eyes closed. If you had done something, I might not be here now, but now it's too late, he's dead. Would you like to be the one to tell his mother her son is never coming home?"

Zoey felt like crying, but she refused to give Mal that satisfaction. Later, after the challenge was announced and Zoey was partnered with Cameron and Gwen, she said, "Let's try not to hurt Mal, Mike could still be in there. Right Cameron?"

She desperately needed to hear someone say that Mike was still in there, because she couldn't force her doubts away. But Cameron said, "I don't think so, Zoey. It is possible that Mal was always Mal and Mike was just one personality. I hate to say it, he's my best friend and I don't want to lose him, but I think either way, Mike's gone."

Zoey's eyes filled with tears. She wiped them away and said, "Well, if Mal is really Mal, let's go out, crush him, and win this thing!"

She took out the necklace Mike had given her. "Goodbye Mike, wherever you are." She dug a small hole and dropped the necklace in it. She was about to cover it up, but she couldn't bring herself to. She felt weak for holding on to it, but she couldn't part with it. She tucked the necklace back in her pocket just as Chris started the challenge. No one saw it, but Mal pulled a remote out of his pocket, pressed a button, and then tossed it to the side.

* * *

><p>Mike heard Zoey scream his name and he tried to get to her, but as always, he wasn't strong enough.<p>

"_What do you think he's doing to her?"_ he asked as his eyes glistened with tears.

"_Don't think about that now, let's focus on getting to the top of that tower,"_ said Manitoba.

He and the others finally made it to Mal's tower. They could see the bright glowing light, and it filled Mike with hope. They made it through the door and ran up the stairs. Mike was still carrying Chester on his back, but he was so determined it didn't slow him down. When they made it to the top, they saw chains, Mal's golden throne, his jeweled crown, and his mighty scepter. Nothing else.

"_Ayo, what are we supposed to do now?"_ asked Vito.

"_Maybe if you put the crown on, it'll give you control back,"_ said Manitoba.

"_Worth a shot." _Chester got off his back and Mike put on the crown. Nothing happened.

"_Try sitting in ze throne and holding ze scepter," _said Svetlana.

Mike tried it, still nothing.

"_I don't understand, I thought that there would be something here we could use to beat Mal," _said Mike as he took off the crown and tossed it and the scepter into the corner. _"He said there was power here, where is it?"_

"_You ninny, what did you expect? A big red button? Ha! Like it would ever be that easy," _Chester scoffed.

"_I put all my hopes on the answer being here, it never occurred to me that this plan might not work. But if we weren't supposed to come here, then where are we supposed to go? What are we supposed to do?"_

"_I'm starting to think this tower was just a red herring, a diversion, mate. His talk of 'power' bein' here was just bait on the end of a hook. Mal had two options, lock us away again after we escaped, or let us waste our time and energy on a wild goose chase. He knew all along we had nothin' to use against him."_

"_No! We must have missed something, there has to be something here! It can't end like this!" _Mike said desperately.

"_Mal tricked us into thinking this tower would give us the key, when really… there is no key," _said Manitoba as he shook his head.

"_So we're trapped in here forever?"_

"_He is too smart for us, too strong. It took all our strength to beat him ze last time, and his power zen was only at a fraction of vat it is now," _said Svetlana sadly.

"_What do you mean, the last time you beat him?"_ asked Mike. _"Mal had complete control before?"_

"_How do you zink you vound up on zat road zat led to your new family?"_

"_How did you beat him last time?" _asked Mike. This was news to him.

"_He was weakened by drugs some crackpot doctors had him on," _replied Chester.

"_He nearly killed us all and himself, but survival instinct won out and we pummeled 'em,"_ said Vito.

"_If only I could tap into my survival instincts now,"_ said Mike. _"But I'm not in any danger, so I can't."_

"_I don't think you being in danger would get the job done, mate. Your safety isn't exactly at the top of your priorities, but we all know whose is," _said Manitoba, grinning.

"_It didn't work before, why should it work now?"_ asked Mike.

"_Because zis time, ve are here to help you,"_ said Svetlana as she put a hand on his shoulder.

* * *

><p>Mal came at Zoey, but she jumped and kicked him in the chest. It sent him backwards, but he came at her again without hesitating. He pounced on her and grabbed her, but she elbowed him in the stomach and flipped him over onto the ground. He stuck out his leg and tripped her, knocking her down onto the ground with him. She struck out with her foot and kicked him in the mouth, but he grabbed it and pulled her closer. He climbed on top of her and pinned her hands down above her head with one hand, with the other, he gently caressed her face as she squirmed.<p>

"Such pretty eyes. Makes me want to pop them out and carry them around on a keychain." He put his fingers in her eyes and was about to gouge them out when she screamed and wrestled her hands free. Despite having Vito's muscle, Mal wasn't very strong, he and Zoey were close to being equally matched. She leapt onto his back and put her arms around his neck to cut off his air supply.

She was on the verge of losing all control and going commando, like she had last season. No one would blame her if she did, the circumstances were a hundred times worse this time. It would be so easy to give in, Cameron said Mike was gone and never coming back, Mal had permanent control. The boy she loved wasn't real, he was just one of Mal's alters, and it was about to drive her over the edge. He would kill her if she didn't stop him, killing him would be doing the world a favor.

But she refused to let herself go down that road again, she would not let Mal do that to her. She would stay in control, she wouldn't lose herself like she did before. If she did it again, she might not come back, she would kill him without a second thought. Mike wouldn't want to see her like that, she didn't want to see herself like that. She would still fight, but she would stay in control and not lose herself like last time.

She held on tight, he couldn't throw her off. If she could incapacitate him long enough to win, the show would be over and help could be brought in. Nothing would be done about Mal until someone pulled the sword out of the stone and ended the game.

"It was a necklace, Mal," she growled in his ear.

Mal had been greatly enjoying their fight, but now he was enraged. He couldn't breathe, his vision started blurring around the edges and he felt lightheaded. If he didn't do something quickly he would pass out and lose the game, he would not let all his hard work be destroyed by Zoey. He saw the water moat behind him, and he leapt backwards into it. Zoey let go and tried to swim back to the surface, but he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down. She tried to fight him, but it was no use, she couldn't get free. She let loose an underwater scream that only Mal could hear and expended her remaining oxygen. He was going to hold her under the water until she drowned, and he had nearly won, but then he felt a sudden intense pain in his head, like an explosion had gone off inside it. He felt like he was being sucked out of his own body, and he blacked out.

"_What the-"_ he said as he opened his eyes. He was back inside his tower, and Mike had him by the front of his shirt.

"_It's over Mal, you're finished."_

"_How did you-"_

"_You made one big mistake, Mal. You underestimated my love for Zoey, it's the only thing that gave me the power to drag you down here with us."_

"_I'm proud of you Mike, you're finally starting to learn how to use your brain to win power. But the thing is, I have years of practice while you've only just begun. I see you have a sword, it's a nice one. I think I'll make one of my own."_

Mal took a large piece of brain matter and formed it into a sword. It was bigger and longer than Mike's, it was black as night and pulsed red.

"_Let's make this one-on-one to keep it interesting."_ Mal's eyes scrunched up in concentration, and suddenly a clear blue force field surrounded them. Chester, Svetlana, Vito, and Manitoba were forced out, they couldn't even watch. This wasn't good, Mike needed them in this fight. But he stood his ground, he would take Mal on alone, and he would win.

"_En garde!"_ challenged Mal as he hit his sword against Mike's with a clang. He then swung it at his head, and Mike just barely dodged in time. Mike held up his sword as Mal brought it down again, and then he began to fight back.

Mike remembered what the others taught him. He was slightly stronger than Mal, but Mal wielded his sword like a pro, as though he had spent years refining the skill. Mike focused on making his moves quick and agile, fluid and precise, while Mal moved like a slippery serpent. Neither of them had strength on their side, but Mike had someone he was fighting for, and Mal had sheer will power and unbridled madness.

"_You know, I think Zoey and I have a connection. Why, just before you invited me to your little party in here, I was taking her breath away,"_ said Mal with a slithery smirk._ "I think your love for Zoey is hilarious. You've placed everything in you on it, so if you were to lose it, lose her, it would destroy you. It's like drawing a big red target on your chest for me and the rest of the world to do our worst. She might love you, but I think you need her a lot more than she needs you. Just think of how much better her life would be if you hadn't entered it and screwed everything up._

"_I see why you like her though, she's the only girl in the world who's ever shown any interest in you. She must be so desperate, so needy that she'll take any guy who shows her an ounce of attention. So it's really no wonder that she fell for the lie so blindly, if she really loved you she should have been able to look into my eyes and see through my façade from day one. But she never saw through it, she trusted me like a sheep going to the slaughter. How does that feel, to know that your girlfriend, the person you love most and the person who loves you most, couldn't tell the difference between us and couldn't figure out her boyfriend had left the building? I guess that means there's really not that much difference between us after all."_

"_Don't talk about her that way, you don't know her like I do." _He thought of all the things Mal might have done to Zoey, he could hurt her terribly and he would have no idea he had done it. But even if he hadn't physically hurt her, he knew that Mal must have done some kind of damage, hurt her in some way, and that made him see red._ "I know she's smart and kind, and she can endure anything the world throws at her. It wasn't blind trust, it was faith in me! She loves me, not because she had no other options or because I've done anything to deserve it, but because… I don't know why. I don't deserve her and I never will. I don't know why she chose me when she could have chosen anyone else. But she did, she gave me her heart, trusting me not to break it, and I'm going to fight for it!"_

Mike managed to get a hit on him, he slashed through his shirt and into the skin. Blood trickled down his shirt, but Mal barely seemed to notice and kept on going as though nothing had happened.

"_You don't feel pain. Why don't you feel pain?"_

"_Oh, I feel it. I've always felt it,"_ he said as he deftly parried one of Mike's blows. He leaned in close and whispered with a malevolent smile, _"The trick is not to fear it, and instead welcome it with open arms. It's not hard when it's all you've ever known. It's one of the key ingredients that went into making me. Pain… fear… anger… hate… loss… death… heartbreak… all the wonderful things that make me the Mal you know and love." _He laughed wickedly at him.

"_Why would I ever make an alternate personality like you? Why are you here, why do you exist?" _said Mike with gritted teeth as Mal's sword came closer and closer to his heart.

"_Now you're making me all soul-searchy. But now that you've brought it up, I'm going to share one of my personal questions with you. When you die, hopefully sooner rather than later, you're going to have to face whatever waits behind the light at the end of the tunnel. But what about us? Will the other personalities and I be absorbed back into your soul just in time for judgment day? You'd better hope not, I've done a lot of naughty things in my time. Or, will we just disappear, leaving a void where I once stood?"_

"_I don't care about your existential crisis, you're just an alter who went horribly wrong and that's it. There's nothing to you, you're empty inside. You're a monster, you always were one and you always will be. You shouldn't even exist, you're just a mistake!"_

Mal knocked Mike to his knees and held the sword against his throat. _"If I'm nothing more than a mistake, then what does that say about you?" _he said in a deathly whisper. _"Who's the greater villain, the villain or the villain who created him? Frankenstein's monster didn't ask to be created, and neither did I."_

"_Stop talking about it like I did it on purpose, I never would have made something like you intentionally. What I'm trying to figure out is what in the world must have happened to me as a kid to make my brain create something like you."_

"_You don't want to know the events surrounding my birth. It would destroy you to know."_

_"Do you know where I came from, who I used to be? Why can't I remember anything? You know why, don't you!"_

"_There is so much you don't know, and never will know. Some things that lurk in the shadows were never meant to be brought out into the light. And you will never see the light again, either."_

Mike felt the blade digging into the skin of his throat, he felt blood run down his neck down to his chest. He was going to die, and no one would ever know. He would be gone forever, and there would be no one to keep Mal from hurting the people he loved.

"_No, I won't let that happen,"_ Mike growled. _"This is my life, it might not be the best in the world but it's mine. I told myself something had to change, and I'm going to make it happen. I won't let you take what belongs to me!"_

Mike tried to force Mal's blade away from his throat with his own sword, he summoned all his strength, he harnessed his anger, but it still wasn't enough. Mike might increase in strength and gain more power in here later, when he understood his own mind better, but for now he stood no chance against him, and Mal knew it. But an idea occurred to him, an idea that got the wheels turning in his head. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before, it was brilliant.

Let Mike win.

If he won now, he would get Mike's body and that would be all well and good, but further on down the line the prize was sure to get bigger and better. If he let Mike go on to live his life and make accomplishments, when he eventually did take back control, ruining his life would be so much sweeter. He wasn't about to settle for the small fish, he was going for the big catch. Sacrifice the king to let the queen take victory, lose the battle to win the war.

Let Mike have the victory, because it's not victory at all.

"_It's a funny world we live in,"_ Mal mused. He grinned and looked back at Mike and said, _"After I win, I'm going to kill the firefly girl."_

Mike almost dropped his sword. _"I made her up, she was in my dream."_

"_That wasn't a dream, that was a memory you accidentally unlocked when your brain was on the fritz in an anxiety attack. She's real, I let you play with her when you were children. She gave you hope and happiness when you had none. I was going to kill her, but I got interrupted. Now I'm going to finish the job."_

"_I won't let you, you've hurt enough people. You won't hurt anyone else."_

Mal leaned in close and whispered, _"Jake says hi."_

"_Who's Jake?"_ asked Mike, but Mal's grin only widened.

Suddenly, a chain shot out from the ground and knocked the sword out of Mal's hand. It coiled up his arm, and then another sprang up and wrapped around his other arm. The chains pulled him down to his knees.

"_What is this?"_ he asked, his eyes wide with surprise. _"What's happening? How are you doing this?"_

"_I'm not doing anything."_ Mike held up his sword ready to swing, but it was looking like he wouldn't need it.

"_Of course you are! Who else could it be?"_ Mal growled in frustration. _"I underestimated you, you're more powerful than I thought."_

More chains appeared, circling his body like snakes.

"_No, don't do this. No one will ever cross you with me in charge. I'm a part of you!"_

Mike was confused, he was sure he wasn't doing this, but maybe Mal was right. Maybe he was more powerful than he thought. Whatever it was, Mal was being beaten, and for now, that was good enough for him.

"_Yup, a part of me I don't need anymore. Goodbye Mal."_

A crack ran through the ground and Mal's throne, it opened up to reveal a deep pit. Mal grit his teeth and tried to resist the chains, but they were too strong. One final chain shot out from the bottom of the pit and wrapped around his neck, and it dragged him down to the bottom. He screamed from the bottom of the pit.

"_No, no! It's my time! MINE!" _The hole closed, sealing him in, but the crack remained.

Something was wrong about this, but Mike didn't know what. For now though, he had to believe he had won. He had so many questions that couldn't be answered without Mal, but he was too dangerous to be let out. He had to resign himself to never knowing the truth.

Mal's shield faded away, and the others came in cheering. Vito punched him on the arm, and Manitoba threw his hat in the air.

"_Come here, all of you! Svetlana's boys are together vith her again!"_ said Svetlana as she pulled them all in for a group hug.

As happy as Mike was, he had no time to celebrate with them, because he heard Zoey scream. He took back control to go back to her.

* * *

><p>"Get out of there, Zoey!" yelled Cameron.<p>

"Do something, Chris!" screamed Gwen.

"What's that? Can't hear you!" called Chris from his jetpack.

"You can't save him, he's too far gone!" screamed Cameron.

"If you don't get out of there now, you'll both drown!" screamed Gwen.

"He's not Mike anymore, Mike's gone!"

"Get out of there while you still can!"

"I know you love him, but he's not waking up! If you keep trying to save him, you'll both die! We don't want him to die either, but we don't want to lose you, too! Save yourself!"

Zoey heard the voices of Gwen and Cameron shouting at her as she tried to hold Mike's head above water. They were too far off to help, they saw no hope for Mike so they were trying to get Zoey to get out. For some reason he had suddenly lost consciousness, and he would be dead by now if she hadn't gone back for him and caught him.

She had broken the surface and taken deep gasps for air, and she looked down and saw Mal under the water; sinking, helpless and dying. If he died, it would be his own fault, but she wouldn't be able to forgive herself. That was Mike down there, she couldn't leave him to die. She swam back down and lifted him up by his underarms and brought him back to the surface where he could breathe.

She needed to get him to shore, but she was tired from the fight and he was dead weight in her arms, it was like trying to swim and carry an anchor at the same time. All she could do was kick her legs and keep him from drowning. If she didn't get out of there soon though, she would get too tired to keep swimming and they would both drown. If she had any sense at all, she would let him sink and save herself.

But she just couldn't bring herself to do it, she couldn't leave him to die. Maybe Mike was gone for good, she still couldn't take that chance. If there was any chance at all the man she loved was still in there somewhere, even the tiniest sliver of hope that he could win and take back control, she had to make sure he was alive to have that chance. She couldn't lose him like this, she refused to give up, so she kept him breathing even as she felt herself starting to sink.

"Mike, if you're in there, please wake up," she pleaded. "I can't hold on much longer, I can't keep going for both of us, you have to wake up. Please Mike, I don't want to lose you, wake up!"

She lost her grip on him and he sank below the water again.

"No!" she screamed. She was about to dive in after him when Fang suddenly appeared, his jaws wide open about to devour her whole. She screamed, certain of her doom, when suddenly Mike broke the surface. He bit his thumb hard and drew blood, and the smell drew Fang to him, away from Zoey.

He dove back under the water, and Fang turned around and charged after him, but Mike didn't move. His lungs burning for oxygen, he narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth in concentration and determination. He only had one chance to get this right. His vision was fuzzy and he was seeing two Fangs, and he was close to passing out. He waited until the very last second and then kicked the wall and moved out of his path, and Fang collided with the wall, knocking him out cold. Mike came back up, coughing up water and gasping for air.

"Mike, is it really you? Like, really really?" asked Zoey, once he had caught his breath.

"I don't know how I did it, but I beat him, I beat Mal. It really is me, Zoey."

Zoey wasn't sure if she could trust him, it could be Mal in disguise. He had risked his life to save hers, Mal wouldn't do that, not when there was nothing to be gained from it. Still, she was wary. She said nothing and bit her lip.

"For a while there, I believed that I was just an alternate personality, and that Mal was the real one in charge. But I have no more doubts about that now, I proved to myself that I'm the real deal. I become a new person each day, I learn and change and grow. Would you say I'm the same now as I was when you first met me last year?"

"No, you're different now. You're still the Mike I loved, but I've watched you become more sure of yourself, you grew a little. That would be impossible if you were an alter. But you could still be…"

"I know you don't trust me anymore," he said, voicing her thoughts. "I wouldn't trust me either if I was in your place. What could I do to make you feel safer? Whatever it is, I promise I'll do it. Even if it means… we don't see each other for a while." He couldn't imagine losing her right after getting her back, but he had to put her needs first.

Zoey still said nothing, she looked down and wouldn't meet his eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something about Mike, something she had never seen before. From the moment they first met, he'd looked familiar to her, but she always dismissed it. But now, with his eyes surrounded by dark circles like a raccoon, she realized why he looked familiar to her: he was the boy from her dream, the one she'd played with when she was a little girl. His eyes looked like they had when he was a child, they looked sad and heavily burdened. It was like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and had lost all hope, but now he had hope again. She thought she made him up, but here he was, right in front of her. She was amazed, but she didn't say anything aloud. She could be wrong, it might not be him, and she didn't want to embarrass herself. Even if it was really him, this wasn't something she wanted to share on international TV, it was way too personal. This realization made her want to believe him even more, but she still wasn't sure.

"Hey, where's the necklace I gave you?" He wanted her to keep the necklace, even if she didn't want to be with him anymore.

Zoey squealed and grabbed him and pulled him in for a kiss. She put so much love and passion into it, she had never kissed him like this before. The water was cold, but he felt heat rush through his veins, and it left him in a daze. He didn't know what he had said to earn it, but he didn't care. He kissed her back and smiled in utter bliss.

"I love you, Zoey. When I was trapped, I was afraid I'd never get to tell you how much I love you. I'm going to tell you every day, starting now. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Mike."

"That's it!" shouted Chris from his jetpack. "This is the finale! It's about pain and betrayal, and pain! Not hugs and kissing, PAIN!"

Mike and Zoey ignored him and kissed again.

"That's it, new rules! Anyone who gets the sword out of the stone wins the million dollars."

"Looks like it's game on!" said Zoey.

"Yeah, I'd better go get my money!"

"Ha! You wish!"

They both took off swimming in opposite directions and climbed ladders to the top level. Chef immediately began firing at them, but Mike managed to dodge and reach the sword first. He pulled it out of the stone and held it up high.

"Yeah! I did it! Woo-hoo-hoo!"

"Mike wins the million dollars!" Chris announced.

"Oh Mike, I'm so proud of you!" Zoey cheered as she clapped for him. She ran over and put her arms around him and kissed him.

* * *

><p>Jack, Holly, Dr. Lace, Trent, and Leshawna were watching the finale. For most of the episode, Mike showed no sign of returning, and Mal was trying to kill Zoey. But then, against all odds, Mike came back. Zoey didn't give up on him and, with her help, he took back control, he saved himself and her, but he didn't stop there. He went on to the finish and won the million dollars. Everyone in the room cheered.<p>

"Mike did it! He came back!" Trent and Leshawna high-fived.

"I knew you could do it, Mike!" Dr. Lace cheered.

"My baby did it, he beat Mal!" said Holly, overjoyed.

"He's okay, Mike's okay!" said Jack. "And he won the game!" He picked up the phone and started calling everyone he knew. "Are you watching Total Drama right now? Well turn it on, my boy's a champion!" He hung up and called someone else. "Hey, are you watching Total Drama right now? You are? Well, remember when you said Mike would never accomplish anything because of his disorder? Well, he just proved you and everyone else wrong!"

There was a loud banging on the door. A neighbor came in and said, "Hey! What's with all the noise, I'm trying to sleep!"

"I'll show you why," said Holly. She pointed at the screen, where Mike was holding the sword skyward. "That's my son, he just triumphed over his disorder and won the game, and I am the proudest mother in the world. I'm screaming for my son, deal with it!"

The neighbor looked with disbelief at Mike, and then scowled and left the house. They continued cheering long after the episode ended. Mike had done the impossible, he'd done what everyone said he could never do, but best of all, he was no longer a slave to Mal.

* * *

><p>Mere seconds after Mike pulled the sword out of the stone, there was a deafening boom, and the ground shook violently.<p>

"What's going on?" said Zoey.

"Um, I'm sure it's nothing…" said Chris with shifty eyes.

"I thought you said you were gonna do something about Mal's prank!" said Chef.

"Mal's prank?" said Mike.

"Well, we saw Mal rigging the island with all my explosives on the monitors, and he set them on a timer," said Chris as he twiddled his thumbs. "I told the interns to leave some of them but to replace the rest with fireworks. I'm sure we're fine."

The second the words left his mouth, more explosions went off. The air filled with black smoke and they could barely breathe, and the ground was shaking so much it was all they could do to keep from falling over.

"The island is on fire!" Alejandro shouted.

Over half the island had been blown apart and the rest was engulfed in flames, but the bombs kept going off. Chris made a call on his phone. "Did the interns do what I said? What do you mean they already left?!"

"The island is sinking!" Cameron screamed. Mike and Zoey ran and held each other. A helicopter came in and picked up Chris and Chef. Before it could take off, Cameron grabbed hold of it and Gwen grabbed him around the middle.

"This helicopter is only for two people, get lost!" said Chris.

"We wouldn't be in this situation if you had done something about Mal before all this happened!" shouted Alejandro.

"Are you kidding? Have you seen the ratings he brought in this season? The ratings were so high they're giving us another season! I wasn't about to kill the goose that laid the golden egg."

It was like a slap in the face to Mike, another reminder that the only reason he was here was because he was crazy.

"They got a point, Chris!" said Chef. "You let him blow up the whole island!"

"I don't remember asking you!"

The helicopter started taking off. Mike jumped and held onto Gwen around the middle.

"Give me your hand!" he said. Heather took his outstretched hand and he pulled her up. She held tightly onto him and gave Zoey her hand. Zoey held onto her and Alejandro leapt and put his arms around her middle. They took off just as one final bomb went off right under their feet, and the force of the explosion threw the helicopter and made it do flips in the air. The helicopter was going down, it couldn't hold this many people up.

"You're all too heavy, I can't hold on!" said Cameron, straining to keep from letting go.

"You'd better not let go, you little pipsqueak!" Heather shouted.

"You can do it, Cam!" said Mike encouragingly. "Don't let go, just hold on a little longer!"

Cameron lasted almost another minute before he let go, but by then they were far enough away from the island that they wouldn't get burned or hit by flying debris. They watched as the island sank, it disappeared in a matter of seconds.

"Are you okay, Zoey?" Mike asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. Is everyone okay?" she asked.

"I'm alive, if that's what you mean," said Gwen.

"I really have been building muscle, I held on to the helicopter for almost two minutes!" said Cameron proudly.

"Are you all right, Chica?" asked Alejandro.

"I'm great, why wouldn't I be?" Heather snapped at him. But then she softened and brushed his wet hair out of his eyes. He held her hand affectionately.

"We need to make a raft!" said Cameron.

They worked together and made a makeshift raft out of pieces of the cabin and anything else they could find and tied them together. As they were making their raft, they could hear Chris signing off the episode from the safety of his helicopter up above. They finished the raft, and since Gwen and Cameron were both hurt, Mike, Zoey, Alejandro, and Heather paddled with their hands.

"I can lead us to land, but it'll be several hours," said Alejandro.

"Once we reach civilization, we never speak of this little team-up again," said Heather.

"My pleasure, Heather," said Gwen as she rolled her eyes. "So Mike, what are you going to do with the million?"

"Assuming it wasn't lost in the explosion," piped in Cameron.

"Assuming it wasn't lost… I don't know, there are so many things I could do that it's hard to choose. But I don't care about the money, I'm just glad to be back and have you guys with me. I'm sorry about what Mal did to you. I can't believe he sunk the whole island!"

"It's fine, Mike," said Gwen. "But he'd better not come back, ever."

"I'm sorry we doubted you, Mike," said Cameron. "We told Zoey that we believed you were gone for good and basically told her to dump you. She wouldn't listen though, and I'm really glad she didn't."

"I'm glad you did, really. If it came down to both of us drowning or just me, telling Zoey to get away was the smart thing to do. You really should have listened to them, Zoey. I mean, I'm glad you didn't, but you should have."

"I just did what any good girlfriend would do, I supported you until you didn't need it anymore. But Mike, don't you ever hurt yourself again for any reason, ever, especially not for me."

"Duncan called from prison while I was at the Playa, and we had a good, long overdue talk. We agreed that it's just not going to work between us. We like each other better as friends, and I think he's still pining over Courtney. I know Courtney wants to rekindle the relationship, as much as she tried to deny it. I caught her sneaking a picture of Duncan from under pillow when she thought everyone was sleeping. Now that I know Mal made that chart, I'm going to have to apologize to her, hopefully she'll be understanding. After watching you two, I think when I get home I'm going to call Trent. It's been a while since we've talked, too long."

"He'll be really happy about that, he really misses you," said Mike.

"Tell him I said hi," said Zoey.

"I will."

Mike looked concerned. "Something wrong, Mike?" asked Zoey.

"It's just something Mal said. He said 'Jake says hi.' I don't know anyone by that name, but at the same time it sounds familiar. Do you guys have any idea what he could have been talking about?"

"Mal's the manipulating king, he probably just said that to throw you off your game," said Gwen.

"Maybe, but why that? I mean, he could have said something along the lines of 'Zoey doesn't love you' to mess with me, why would he go with something so random?"

"Only Mal understands Mal," said Cameron. "It's a mystery, and it'll probably always be a mystery. It's just one of those things you have to accept."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Chester suddenly appeared without being triggered. "Dangit, what mess have you whippersnappers gotten yourselves into this time? What, is being on land not 'cool' enough for you? You kids don't appreciate dirt like we did back in my day, and now it's gone! All we had was dirt, and we were darn grateful to have it!"

Zoey patted his shoulder and said, "It's great to have you guys back."

They reached land as the sun rose the next morning. They worked in shifts, Mike and Zoey paddled for half the night while Alejandro and Heather slept, and then they switched. Once they reached land, they borrowed a stranger's cell phone to call taxis. As Mike and Zoey were riding home, they tried to rest a little after all that paddling. Zoey was relaxing on Mike's shoulder and about to fall asleep when she suddenly jerked awake.

"Mike, my diary was still in the spa hotel! I've had that diary since I was five, and now it's gone!"

She started to cry and Mike hugged her. "I'm so sorry, I know how much it meant to you. I know it won't ease the pain of losing it, but I can buy you a new one, if you want."

"Thanks, but I don't know if I want a new one. Give me some time, maybe after a while I'll be able to start a new one. I just can't believe it's all gone, it's like parting with my soul. But at least I still have this." She took Mike's necklace out of her pocket. "I almost buried it, when I thought you weren't coming back. If I had, it would have been destroyed, too."

"What would you have written in your diary today?" he asked.

"I would have written about how happy I am to have you back, and how we'll never be apart like that again. I've been meaning to ask, what was going on with you, while Mal was in control? Did you know what was going on, or were you unaware?"

"I was on a journey that ended in battle with Mal. Zoey, you won't believe the story I'm about to tell you."


	27. New Beginnings

Things were different for Mike when he returned home after Total Drama the second time. The media hounded him more than before, asking questions about Mal and questioning whether he and Zoey should be together or not. There were also several fangirls who wanted a piece of Mal, despite Mike's assertions that to intentionally bring Mal out would be the worst thing anyone could possibly do. It was hard, and for a few weeks he didn't leave the house much. Eventually, the media found a new story and the fangirls lost interest, so he could finally go outside without having a million questions thrown at him or girls grabbing at him, wanting to lock lips with the Malevolent One.

After escaping Mal's prison, he savored the feeling of being free. He swore he was never letting that happen again, he was no one's prisoner.

Everyone wanted to know what Mike planned to do with his prize money. It was a little overwhelming, he'd never had so much money to spend before. Many things came to mind for him to buy, but he was having trouble choosing. Well, he didn't have to choose right away, he'd take some time to think about it.

A few weeks after the show ended, Jack and Holly took Mike on vacation to the beach. They didn't take Zoey, not because they didn't want her, but because they just needed some time to be alone as a family. They had almost lost Mike to Mal, and since he would be turning eighteen soon, they just wanted to get away for a while and be with their son.

"The ocean is so beautiful, isn't it?" said Holly. She, Jack, and Mike were sitting on the seashore, the sun would be going down soon. Satchimo was running across the sand, chasing seagulls.

"Yeah, it is."

Holly admired the shells they had found on the beach that day. "I'm glad we can still share it with you. For a while there it looked like we wouldn't be able to anymore."

"For a while there I didn't think I'd be seeing anything ever again. It really makes me appreciate stuff like this."

"I can't even imagine what it must have been like, having a battle inside your head like that," said Jack.

"It made me think of when we first decided we wanted to adopt you," said Holly. "Up until that point we were so uncertain, we didn't see how we could ever make it work, but now look at us, look at you. Thinking about what you went through made me think of when I held you in my arms in that forest, when we both cried and came to terms with everything. Ever since that moment, I look at you and I think of that little boy, and how I want to keep anything from ever hurting you. But now you don't need me anymore, you're almost an adult."

"I'll always need you, Mom, just not as much as I used to. Don't think you're getting out of your job that easy." She smiled and hugged him. "You too, Dad."

"Oh shoot, and here I was thinking I could retire." He mussed Mike's hair like he used to when he was younger. "We need to take trips like this more often. Next time we'll bring Zoey with us."

"Jack, now you know Mike doesn't want Zoey hanging around."

"Oh that's right, silly me. I know how much Mike would hate for us to bring Zoey along on our vacations. Forget I said anything."

Mike laughed and put his arms around his parents' shoulders, savoring the closeness. Yes, they definitely needed to take more vacations like this.

* * *

><p>Geoff hadn't been kidding about wanting everyone to party together. A couple weeks after the show ended, he threw a huge party and invited everyone, classic and new competitors, even the ones that hadn't competed together. He called everyone to let them know.<p>

"Hey Geoff!" said Zoey when he called her.

"Hey Zo, I'm calling to let you know that I'm throwing a party and you and Mike are totally invited. It's this Saturday, come whenever you want."

"I can't wait! What should we wear? And do you want us to bring anything?"

"Wear whatever you want, and I got everything covered. All you have to bring is your inner party animal."

That Saturday, Mike, Zoey, and Cameron all went to Geoff's party together. It was after dark, and bright lights were shining from inside Geoff's house. There was a buffet of food, and music playing from a stereo. Some people were dancing, others were chatting.

"Hey guys!" said Geoff. He put his arms around them. "So glad you could make it."

The three of them split up to talk to other people. Cameron went to talk to Harold, Zoey went to talk to Gwen and Dakota, and Mike went to talk to Brick, Trent, and Sam.

"How's it going, guys?" Mike asked.

"It's going great," said Sam. "Have you heard? In a few months, I'm heading to college, I'm going into video game design. I want to start my own company, design all new games. It's going to be great."

"I'm on the road to fashion school," said Brick proudly.

"It won't be much longer until I open my bike shop," said Trent.

"Looks like Duncan and Courtney worked things out," said Sam. Duncan and Courtney walked in, both red in the face from arguing, but they smiled at each other lovingly.

"He didn't stay in jail very long, did he?" said Brick.

"Look what Chris did, and he only got a year," Trent pointed out.

"True," Brick agreed.

"Have I told you guys about the new Super Smash Bros. game coming out soon?" asked Sam.

"Ten times already," said Mike. "But it's okay, I'm excited, too."

"We should have a guy's night and stay up all night playing it. And then the night after that, we'll invite the girls over, take them on. I'm tellin' you, Dakota has really improved, her skills are amazing. She'll probably beat all of us."

"I'm not really into video games," said Brick.

For a second, Sam looked shocked and horrified. But then he said, "That's okay, you're still invited to hang out."

Gwen and Zoey passed by, and they met up with Leshawna. Courtney joined them, and they went to get some punch.

"I still can't believe Gwen took me back," said Trent in awe. "I swear I'm not going to ruin it this time."

"Don't stress about it," said Mike. "Gwen's cool, she doesn't expect you to be perfect. Just relax and take it easy."

He took a deep breath. "You're right, Mike. You know, I really could use you as my wingman. Say, when I open up my bike shop, I'll let you take a motorcycle for a spin. I've already promised Geoff and DJ that I'll let them do it."

"I'd like to, but I think that would be too much temptation for Vito, and he's a daredevil."

"Oh yeah, forgot. Still though, maybe we could try it out. We'll have DJ there to hold him back if he starts causing trouble."

"Where is DJ, anyway?" Mike asked.

"I think I saw him talking to Dawn and B," said Sam. "I think Dawn and B might be dating, but I can't tell because B never says anything."

"They're not, they're best friends," said Brick. "Hey, you guys want to hear about the time my squadron pranked the drill sergeant in military training?"

Brick told them all about it, but in the middle of his story, Tyler tried to do a backflip and accidentally kicked Mike in the back of the head and fell in a painful heap. The kick brought out Chester, who covered his ears against the loud music.

"You okay, Mike?" Brick asked.

"I died and went to hell!" he yelled. He hobbled out as fast as he possibly could and went outside, grumbling about the loud music and all the teenagers surrounding him. Once he was outside he could almost tune out the music. If he listened hard enough, he could hear crickets chirping somewhere close by, and he liked that. He sat down and just listened to the crickets for a while, and allowed himself to relax.

But he couldn't stay out forever. The party had excited all Mike's alters, and they all wanted a part of it. Svetlana came out and did flips back to the house. Inside, she felt someone hug her, which startled her.

"Svetlana! I finally get to meet you, this is so great!" said Sierra. She took her by the hand and led her to a table. "We have so much to talk about."

"You vant to talk to Svetlana?" she asked in surprise. "Most people want to talk to Mike or Vito or Manitoba."

"Of course I do, silly! Now, what's your favorite gymnastic move? We'll start there, we have to catch up on all the time we missed on the show."

During their talk, Beth and Lindsay came over and joined them. Beth had made flower crowns for everyone, but not many people were accepting them. Svetlana was happy to wear one.

"You're so pretty, Svetlana," said Lindsay. "I wish I could do gymtastics, but I'm good at cheerleading, that's kind of the same."

"I'm a baton twirler, the best one I know!" said Beth.

"And I'm an expert slap dancer! We should perform together sometime, we'd be the best thing ever!"

Before Svetlana could reply, Anne Maria came up from behind her and pulled his shirt off. Vito came out, and she hugged him. "I missed you, sugar."

"Finally!" said Vito as he yanked the flower crown off his head and tossed it onto the floor. He stepped on it and they started dancing together.

"Ugh, Vito baby, you call that dancing?" she said in disgust.

"Yeah, gotta problem with it?"

"You dance like giraffe having a seizure." Vito stopped dancing and turned away in anger, but then she said, "Well, at least you're still hot. Let's not dance, okay?" She pulled him in for a kiss.

He pushed her away and said, "Nuh uh, I'm dancing, whether you like it or not." But she kissed him again, and this time he gave in and kissed her back, and they started making out.

"Whoa, hold up!" said someone from behind them. "Mike, you can't kiss Anne Maria, think of what that'll do to Zoey!"

"Screw off, fatso."

Owen put his arms around Vito and easily lifted him off the ground. Vito kicked and squirmed and tried to get away, but he was powerless against Owen's girth. "Put me down, ya dumb cow!"

Owen was prepared to hold him until Mike came back out. He didn't want to see Zoey hurt, and he knew Mike wouldn't want this. He wanted to be their friend, and he always tried to look out for his friends. But then Izzy came in with a huge boa around her neck. "Lookie what I found at the zoo, Owen! Her name is Shelby!"

"Izzy, that thing is going to constrict and kill you!" said Noah in alarm.

She brought the snake's head next to Noah. "Don't be a meanie, say you're sorry. Give Shelby a kiss, or you get no kisses from me."

Manitoba appeared and wrangled himself out of Owen's hold. Owen didn't have any problems with letting him go, he wasn't going to kiss any other girls. He was going to keep an eye on him just in case, but then he was distracted by the food.

"Let me see her, sheila." The snake was long enough to go around both their necks, and so heavy they could hardly hold it.

"Hey Manitoba! Wow, I've met you and Mal, but I still haven't met Mike. So, you like snakes too, huh?" she said, grinning.

"Do horned lizards squirt blood out their eyes?"

"Hey, you want to go on the roof and jump off?"

"What kind of party would it be if we didn't?" They put the snake in Izzy's car, and then they climbed on top of the roof and jumped off, and they grabbed onto the rope Manitoba set up and swung on it. They kept swinging until Mike came back. He was so confused and startled that he lost his grip and fell, but Izzy caught him.

"Hey, Mike! When did you get here?" she said with a mad giggle.

"Um, thanks for catching me, Izzy, but could you put me down?"

"Sure!" She dropped him.

"Thanks," he said as he stood back up. Izzy smiled and skipped away, and Mike went back inside. He wondered how long it had been, and how much of the party he had missed.

"Good to see you came back to planet reality," said Duncan as he passed.

"How long has it been?"

"Ten years." He smirked and said, "About an hour, but Geoff's parties always go long into the night, so you haven't missed much."

"Um, Duncan? You know me from when we were younger, I was in juvie. What did Mal do in there?"

"Scare the living hell out of everyone."

"You're not going to give me details?"

He shook his head. "You're too fragile for it. There's something seriously messed up in his head, that's all you need to know."

"I'm sorry."

"Just keep Mal away and we're fine. Hey, want to help me prank Harold?"

"No thanks, but you have fun with that."

By now, Trent, Brick, and Sam were all talking to other people, so Mike wasn't sure what to do with himself.

"Want a cupcake?" Owen came up beside him and held out a chocolate cupcake. He was wearing a flower crown.

"Sure, thanks." Mike accepted the cupcake and took a bite out of it.

"And here's your shirt," he said as he held it out to him.

Until that moment, Mike hadn't noticed he was shirtless. He suddenly became very self-conscious and put his shirt back on as quickly as possible.

"You know, Owen, in the past seasons, you were my favorite character."

"Aw, thanks. It's cool being someone's favorite anything."

Cody came over, gasping for air and covered in kissy marks. "Sierra decided to play seven minutes in heaven, except it was more like half an hour. I love her and all, but I need some space. How's it going, Mike?"

"Good, I'm great."

"Hey, have you guys seen the new contestants for the next Total Drama season?" Owen asked.

"It looks promising, but it's going to be weird with a whole new island," Mike replied.

"I hope the magician guy wins," said Cody.

They talked about the new season and other things for a while, until Zoey came to find Mike. She was also wearing a flower crown.

"Sorry guys, but I'm going to have to steal Mike," she said as she put her arm around him. "I need a dance partner."

"Only if you dance with me first!" said Owen, and he took her by the hand and started dancing wildly. Zoey laughed and danced with him, and Mike laughed as he watched them. Owen danced with her for a minute and then went to dance with everyone else.

Beth came over and said, "Oh, you lost your crown. Here, you can have another one."

He wasn't so sure about it, but Zoey took it and placed it on his head. "I love it."

Mike and Zoey started dancing together, until Geoff came out with a mic and said, "All right my peeps, now it's time for some karaoke! Who wants to go first?"

Courtney went first, and then Trent sang a love song he wrote for Gwen. Bridgette and Geoff sang a duet, and as they listened to everyone sing, Mike hugged Zoey from behind and they swayed in time with the music. She turned her head and kissed his neck, tickling him and making him giggle.

"You should go up there and sing something," Mike whispered.

"I'm no good at singing."

"You've got the most beautiful voice I've ever heard."

"Even if that were true, I can't sing in front of other people. You're the only person I've ever sang in front of."

"You don't have to, but I really wish you would. I love hearing you sing."

Zoey thought about it while Lindsay sang. Mike had gone with her to the prom when she'd asked, stepping out of his comfort zone to make her happy. After Harold finished beat-boxing, she worked up the nerve and went up on stage.

"Zoey? Didn't expect to see you up here," said Geoff in surprise. He handed her the mic and said, "Blow us all away."

The music started, and for a second she couldn't find her voice. But she saw Mike looking up at her with his big, puppy dog eyes, with nothing but love and confidence in her, and she started to sing _You and I._

"Music is playing in the darkness,

And a lantern goes swinging by.

Shadows flickering, my heart's jittering,

Just you and I.

Not tonight come tomorrow,

When everything's sunny and bright,

No, no, no come tomorrow 'cause then,

We'll be waiting for moonlight."

"She's good," said Cameron, who came to stand by Mike.

"She's really good," said Courtney in disbelief.

"I keep telling her that, but she doesn't listen to me," said Mike, grinning up at her. Her voice was melodious and enchanting, it was like a bird singing.

"We'll go walking in the moonlight,

Walking in the moonlight.

Laughter ringing in the darkness,

People drinking for days gone by.

Time don't mean a thing,

When you're by my side,

Please stay awhile.

You know I never could forsee the future years,

You know I never could see,

Where life was leading me.

But will we be together forever?

What will be my love?

Can't you see that I just don't know."

"That's my girlfriend!" Mike said proudly. He could hardly contain himself, seeing Zoey up there and hearing her sing.

"Yeah, we know, we all saw Revenge of the Island," said Noah sarcastically, but with a little smile.

"No not tonight not tomorrow,

Everything's gonna be all right,

Wait and see if tomorrow we'll be

As happy as we're feeling tonight.

We'll go walking in the moonlight,

Walking in the moonlight."

She reached and took Mike's hand and pulled him up with her. They sang the final verse together.

"I can hear the music in the darkness,

Floating softly to where we lie.

No more questions now,

Let's enjoy tonight,

Just you and I.

Just you and I,

Can't you see that we've gotta be together,

Be together, just you and I.

No more questions, just you and I.

Zoey put her arms around him and kissed him as the others clapped.

"Give it up for the lovebirds!" said Geoff with a laugh.

They broke off the kiss and went outside, and then kissed again as someone else started to sing.

* * *

><p>When Zoey turned eighteen, she started going to college. On her first day, Mike woke up very early and went to meet her at the school.<p>

"Mike, you didn't have to do this, you know," said Zoey. Since it was early morning, she had bought coffee for both of them. She handed him his cup.

"You seemed nervous about it, so I just wanted to be here as your cheerleader before you go in. Are you nervous?"

"A little. I'm excited, but college is very different from high school. I'm sure I'll make new friends and the class will be great, but the first day is always hard."

"You don't have anything to worry about, you're going to do awesome," he said with a smile. "I'm going to miss you, since we won't get to see each other as often, but I'm really happy for you."

"You're like a puppy, you know that?" She hugged him tightly. "Thanks for being my cheerleader. I'd better get to class, see you later. Love you."

"Love you, too." She grabbed her books and ran to the college building. She turned back before opening the door to wave one last time.

Mike got back in his car, smiling to himself. He was a little tired form waking up this early, but he didn't want to go back to bed. He needed some time to be alone for a while, clear his head. There was a small lake by the park, he decided to go there.

The lake was surrounded by trees that reflected off the water's surface. The sun was coming up, and the chill in the air was gradually fading. There was a mother duck with her ducklings swimming out in the center of the lake. He took some flat stones and skipped them across the water. His alters were talking inside his head, as always, but skipping the stones helped tune them out.

"Excuse me, young man. May I talk to you for a moment?" he heard someone say. He hadn't realized there was anyone else here.

"Sure, I don't mind," he replied. She was an old woman, with a flowery hat and thick glasses.

"I know this will sound strange, but you look just like my son."

"Really? I've never heard that one before," said Mike as he skipped another stone. He grinned and said, "Is he handsome?"

"Oh yes, he was very handsome."

"Was?"

"He died several years ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be. He did some terrible things, I didn't know about it until it was too late and he was gone. He never gave any indication that he was doing it, he was the perfect son, and I'm not making that up. He never did anything wrong, he was practically a saint, so it was very hard for me to believe it when I found out. But evidence doesn't lie, it's just so strange and scary to think that someone you loved and trusted would be capable of such things. I still can't help but love him, I never stopped being a mother. But knowing what I do now, I see it's better this way."

"I don't mean to pry, but what did he do?"

"He hurt a lot of people, he did damage that can't ever be undone. But it's over now, nothing more can be done about it." She wiped away a tear. "I'm sorry, you don't want to hear that you look like someone like that. I've seen you around here many times, and I just had to say something. I'm sure you're a lovely person."

"Thanks" he said with a little smile. She returned his smile.

"Thanks for listening to an old woman, I'm sorry I interrupted you."

"Don't be sorry, I love talking to people, even people I've never met."

"Strangers are the most interesting people, aren't they?"

"Without a doubt."

"I like to come to this spot to unwind, and it seems you do, too. I'll let you get back to it, goodbye."

"Bye." He resumed skipping rocks, thinking about the old woman's son. It seemed odd that she would see such a resemblance between them, but they say everyone has a twin somewhere, and so this must be his.

* * *

><p>"Mike, this is Mr. Jamie. Would you like to say hello?"<p>

"I don't like him."

"That's not a very nice thing to say to say to a new friend."

Mike was in one of his last few sessions with Dr. Lace, and right now one of his lesser alters was in control. His voice was very soft-spoken, you had to listen close to hear him.

Since Mike was soon going to move on to an adult psychiatrist, Dr. Lace thought it would be prudent to give his alters a chance to adjust, instead of just springing a new doctor on them. They wanted to make the transition as smooth and painless as possible, so she was bringing out Mike's alters and giving them a chance to meet the new doctor in a safe, comfortable environment so they could get used to him and learn to trust him. They couldn't get anywhere in therapy if his alters didn't trust the new doctor.

His new doctor was Dr. James Teager, he was a friend of Dr. Lace and she recommended him. That was one thing that was going to make the transition a bit more difficult; Mike's alters were used to being treated by a woman, being treated by a man would take more time to get used to, especially since some were likely to associate him with Mike's biological father. So far, fortunately, they hadn't.

"He's sitting in your seat, he can't sit there," said Mike in irritation. Dr. Teager was sitting in Dr. Lace's armchair, while she sat beside him on the couch. "Only Dr. Lace can sit there."

"We thought it might make you more comfortable if you and I sit together," said Dr. Lace. "I assumed you wouldn't want to sit by him."

"I don't want to sit by him, but he can't sit there." He thought about it for a moment, then said, "Switch places, and I'll sit on the floor by your feet."

They did as he said, and it placated him a little, but he still didn't like Dr. Teager. "You call him Mr. Jamie, and the others fall for it, but I don't. He's another doctor, like you."

"That's right, I am a doctor," said Dr. Teager. Dr. Teager had black hair tinged with gray, and a graying beard. He wore glasses in front of kind, caring eyes. "I'm Mike's new doctor, and yours."

He looked up at Dr. Lace. "Is Mike too crazy for you to handle?"

"No, not at all. He's a grownup now, and he needs a new doctor," said Dr. Lace.

"He's too old? He's only five, how could he be too old?"

"I'm afraid Mike isn't a child anymore, he's nearly eighteen years old now," said Dr. Lace.

"Yeah right. Well I'll have you know that I don't need a doctor, because I'm cured."

"You're cured? Why didn't Mike tell me when he came in?" Dr. Lace asked.

"He was going to, but you interrupted him!" he replied. "I cured myself without any help."

"Well, that's good to hear," said Dr. Lace. "But I think it would still be a good idea to see Dr. Teager."

"You think I'm lying?"

"No, but while you might be cured, Mike still needs to see his doctor," said Dr. Lace. "It would help Mike so much if you would see Dr. Teager. Do you want to help him?"

"Maybe. But why does it have to be him? He's a stranger, I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

"He's not a stranger, he's a very good friend of mine. I would not have let him into our safe room if I didn't trust him completely. Pretty soon we're going to have to say goodbye. You won't come see me anymore, you're going to visit him."

"We're not going to be friends anymore?" he turned to look at her again. "What about the safe room?"

"Dr. Teager has a safe room, just like this one. He won't let anything bad happen to you, I promise. You and I are still friends, but now you'll be visiting him. You're going to be such good friends, I just know it." She smiled reassuringly.

Mike still looked unconvinced. He asked, "Do you really have a safe room?"

"I do, it's very much like this one, but with some small differences. Mike, I want to help you and keep you safe, just like Dr. Lace. I'm her friend, she asked me to come here today to meet you. She trusts me, so you can trust me, too."

"I don't know, maybe."

"It's okay if you don't trust me yet. We're just starting to get to know each other, we might be friends later."

"I guess it might work." He got up and went to look out the window.

"Mr. Jamie, never been called that before," said Dr. Teager. He kept his voice low. "I don't mind, but it'll take some getting used to."

"Most of the half-formed alters are terrified of doctors, it's the only way they'll trust you. There's a teddy bear I'm going to give you, it really helps when they're agitated and can't calm down. You might want to keep a few other toys on hand, too. Stuffed animals, trains, and racecars, those are what they like."

"What triggers do I need to watch out for?"

"I've made a list of all the ones I've seen." She passed him a notebook. "If Mike starts getting very stressed, work on calming him so it doesn't bring his alters out. Some of them lean towards self-harm, do whatever it takes to keep them from hurting Mike. The lesser ones don't like talking about anything frightening, broach those topics with caution. Be very careful when talking about past abuse, if you can, wait for them to bring it up, they don't get as agitated that way. But even with this list, sometimes things will set them off that you never would have thought would. Some things will upset one alter, but not phase another. Their reactions can be hard to predict."

"What's the overall opinion of me?"

"Manitoba, Vito, and Svetlana seem to have no problem with you. Chester doesn't like you, but he wouldn't like any psychiatrist. The lesser alters don't seem to be afraid of you, a bit mistrusting, but you should be able to overcome that with time."

"What about the persecutor alter, Mal?"

"I've never seen him in person. Mike took back control from him on the island before any doctors could see him, and he hasn't shown up since, so I haven't been able to study him, other than what I saw on the show."

"I'll watch for signs of him. I think it would be good to study him, but I won't do anything to purposefully bring him out."

"Yes, don't bring him out, it was all Mike could do to take back control last time. I've never seen an alternate personality like this before, he was so strong. It makes me worry about him."

"You're going to miss him, aren't you?"

"Well, I've been working with him for eight years now, I've never treated a patient that long before. I'll admit I am fond of him, and I do wish we could continue together, but this will be good for him."

"You see any hope of him ever being cured?" he asked.

"He's made a tremendous amount of progress since we began… but no, he's not shown any sign of his alters unifying with him. It could still happen one day, but I think Mike has resigned himself to living with it for the rest of his life. We don't talk about curing the disorder much, we more talk about the best ways to manage it."

"Don't worry, he'll be in good hands."

Mike turned eighteen two weeks later, and he stopped seeing Dr. Lace. He missed her, but Dr. Teager was a good doctor.

"Everyone talks about the eighteenth birthday like you magically transform into an adult at the stroke of midnight. I still feel the same as before, I don't feel like I need a new doctor."

Dr. Teager smiled. "It's not magical at all, and no one makes the decision to grow up. You just realize one day that you have grown up."

"It feels so weird to think of myself like that, I feel the same as when I was thirteen. Time is a funny thing."

"It most certainly is."

* * *

><p>"I've never spent an entire day in bed before."<p>

"I could just lie here forever."

Mike and Zoey were lying in her bed at her house. The night before, they'd stayed up late watching movies and eating pizza and ice cream, and Mike had decided to stay over. Her father didn't like them sharing a bed, but since they were both eighteen now he couldn't tell them no. He would instead make passive-aggressive comments about it that were only half-serious. Though he needn't have worried, their clothes stayed on. Just being near each other was enough for them.

Zoey was resting her head on his chest and rubbing circles of his abs with her fingers. He had his arms around her, basking in the warmth of her body. It was the middle of the afternoon, they'd stayed in bed in their pajamas all day. She'd only gotten up once, and that was to put on some of her music to listen to.

"I feel so lazy, but I don't care. With all the homework, I don't get a lot of time to relax. And I definitely don't get enough time with my man."

"You poor thing, having to stay in bed all day with me," he said with a smile.

"I'm suffering."

They were silent for a long while, until Mike asked, "Zoey, where do you see yourself in ten years?"

"Teaching, you know that."

"I'm not talking about career paths, I mean you."

"Well, I would hope to have a house of my own by then, one I can decorate in any way I want. I'd invite my friends over all the time. I'd share a bed with my husband every night, and maybe… maybe even have a family of my very own."

Mike winced slightly when she mentioned family. Zoey would no doubt want kids of her own, and he did too, but there was no way he could ever be a good father. Zoey's children deserved better than him, he wasn't meant to be a father. He would have to tell Zoey sooner or later, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Do you think you'll be happy?"

"I do. The future is bright and full of promise, it's going to be wonderful. What about you? Do you see yourself being happy?"

"Ever since I accepted that I would have this disorder for the rest of my life, just surviving to the end of next week seemed like a stretch, let alone ten years. I always try to be optimistic and upbeat, but I couldn't honestly look to the future and say, 'I'm going to make it.' But I think now, I honestly believe that I can make it. Not just because of you, though you are a huge part of it."

"You're going to make it, Mike," said Zoey as she looked up at him with a smile. She kissed him and said, "I promise, you're going to make it."


	28. Gone

One Saturday, Zoey was home from work for the day, and Mike didn't have anything going on, so he went to spend the day with her. It was late spring, meaning the spring semester in school was nearly over, and Zoey had been taking finals. She had taken all but one, so she was almost free.

He arrived that morning, and Zoey met him at the door. She greeted him with a smile and he kissed her. He had only started initiating kisses recently, it took him a long time to build up the courage to do so. Now he did it more often, but Zoey was still usually the one initiating them. They broke off the kiss and went inside. It was starting to rain, a storm was supposed to blow in later.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" she asked.

"No, I was too eager to get here."

"I was thinking about making blueberry muffins, want to help?"

"Like you have to ask."

They got out the ingredients and mixed them together. While putting in the ingredients, they playfully bumped into each other and made a huge mess. Mike added a little too much sugar, but it tasted better that way. After they put the batter in the oven to cook, Mike showed Zoey a recipe for glaze his dad had taught him. Once the muffins finished, they put on the glaze and enjoyed their breakfast treat. Mike got some glaze around his mouth, and Zoey licked it off and kissed him.

"So, what are you doing for your birthday?" he asked after they finished eating. They were cleaning the mess they'd made in the kitchen. "It should be something special, turning nineteen is a milestone."

"You say that about every birthday."

"It's true."

"Are you throwing me another surprise party?" Zoey giggled.

The year before, Mike, Cameron, Trent, Gwen, and Leshawna had banded together and planned a surprise birthday party for her eighteenth birthday. All was going well, Zoey suspected nothing, but then Cameron accidentally let their plans slip. Mike accidentally gave it away too, before he knew Cameron had already spoiled the surprise. He felt bad that the surprise was ruined, but the party was still a lot of fun, regardless.

"As you saw, I'm not good with secrets like that, so no. But I want to do something really special for it. What would you like to do for it this year?"

"We've still got several weeks, I'll be thinking."

"What do you want for your birthday? I've been playing with some gift ideas, but I can't decide."

"Mike, I think you're more excited for my birthday then I am," she laughed.

"Getting overly excited for holidays is who I am. So, presents?"

"Well… there's going to be a concert a few days after my birthday… I could go with a certain special someone… my hamster, Miss Puffycheeks."

"So, not me, then?"

"Of course you, doofus." She stretched up on her toes and kissed him.

They went into her living room to watch movies. "You pick the first one," said Mike.

Zoey held up _The Dark Knight_. "I'm about to rock your world, Marvel-boy."

"No, it burns!" said Mike as he shielded his eyes.

Zoey started the movie and then sat in his lap. He watched the movie and occasionally asked questions. Some were serious, others not so much.

"Why did Joker change his mind? Why doesn't he want to know Batman's secret identity?"

"It won't be as much fun if he knows who he really is, he likes the mystery of the mask."

"Oh, okay." A couple scenes later, as Batman started beating up the Joker, he asked, "Which one of them is Batman?" To which she playfully smacked him on the arm.

"The Joker was cool, I liked the movie," said Mike as the credits rolled.

"But you still like _Avengers_ more," said Zoey, feigning hurt feelings. "I see how it is."

"I guess we can't be together, Zoey. People can't truly love each other unless they agree on everything, so I guess this is goodbye." Mike turned away, his lower lip in a mock pout. "You can see yourself to the door."

"This is my house, bud."

"You're already trying to start another argument. You're never satisfied unless we're arguing. You're not a nice person, Zoey."

"Mike, don't let the children hear you speaking with such foul language. You should be ashamed of yourself, why must you always be this way?"

"Don't put all the blame on me, there was no way this relationship could ever work. I never want to see you again, Zoey Roth."

"Sorry pal, you can't get rid of me. You're stuck with me forever," said Zoey as she started tickling him. He was laughing so much he couldn't talk.

She let up her assault, and as he was catching his breath he said, "You're so mean, invoking my one weakness."

"Well, you want to know what my weakness is?" she said as she kissed him.

"That's my second weakness," he said as he returned her kiss.

They watched more movies, and then near dinnertime they went on a walk outside. It was raining, so they took their jackets and an umbrella. As they walked, the wind blew hard and it was cold, and Zoey started shivering.

"Here, take my jacket," said Mike. He unzipped his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

"I can't, you'll freeze."

"I'm fine," he said as he wrapped his arms around himself to stay warm. "If it gets bad enough we'll just go back."

And the weather did get worse. Thunder cracked loudly in the sky, and they saw a flash of lightning, so they went back to her house.

"I don't mind thunderstorms," said Mike as they sat down on the couch. "But I wish this one would have held off long enough for us to stay outside."

"I want to try something, Mike," said Zoey. "I want to try taking off your shirt."

"Vito will come out if I do."

"I'll get your shirt back on you and bring you back if he does, but I want to try it. We'll take it slow."

For the first several minutes, the shirt stayed on. Zoey put an arm around him and rubbed circles over his shirt with the other to relax him. She then moved her hand under his shirt while whispering soothing words of encouragement.

"Are you ready to try it now?" she asked after a while.

He nodded.

Very slowly, she began to pull up his shirt. All the while, she continued rubbing his chest and whispering words to help him remember who he was. When the shirt came off, Mike scrunched up his face, waiting for the shift in control, but it didn't come.

Zoey ran her fingers over his abs, enjoying them without the shirt getting in the way for the first time. Mike lasted for a couple minutes, but then he quickly put the shirt back on.

"Sorry, I couldn't keep him in much longer."

"You're getting better at staying you, I'm proud of you," she said, smiling.

At that moment, her father returned home from work.

"On the news, they said it's expected that this storm will knock out some power lines and flood the roads. I've got a business trip and I'm supposed to leave tomorrow, but I'm going tonight to avoid the flood. I suggest you do the same, Mike, otherwise you'll be stranded here tomorrow."

Mike wouldn't mind being stranded with Zoey, but he did have lines he needed to practice for a play and she had her final exam to study for, so he needed to go home. "All right, I'll head out. Love you, Zoey. See you later."

"Not if I see you first," she said with a smile. "I love you, too." She gave him one last kiss, and then he left and got in his car, and drove away.

As Mike was driving without a care in the world, Mal was sitting in his pit, thinking. When he was chained up, whether by his own hand or the other's, he was constantly bombarded with annoying thoughts.

He was wondering about Jake, the real Jake. He often wondered what Jake would have been like if he had had the chance to grow up. He wondered if he would have gone bad, like he did. But no, he was too much like Mike for that. Even so, knowing that he would never know for sure was maddening.

Thinking about Jake always led to him thinking about Mike, and vice-versa. He was surprised to find that the thought of Mike didn't anger him anymore. He no longer hated him or wanted him to die. He wanted him to suffer, but he didn't want him gone completely. If he died, the fun would end, and he didn't want that. All the pain, fear, anger, hate, loss, death, and heartbreak that went into him combined to create a black hole in his heart that craved blood and chaos but could never be satisfied.

He thought of his threat to Mike, about killing the firefly girl. Mike didn't know he was talking about Zoey, and Zoey didn't seem to recognize Mike, either. A thought occurred to him; what if one day Zoey for some reason decided to marry Mike, and they had kids. One of those kids might look like Zoey did when she was a little girl, she might look like the firefly girl in Mike's memory. Even better, what if Mike thought the firefly girl had died, and the whole family would suffer? The thought made him toss back his head in laughter, oh, he couldn't wait until then.

He was hit by another of those pesky memories of Jake's. Well, not Jake's, exactly, Mike's memories of Jake that he'd given him.

Mike had spent a day and a half day locked in the broom closet. When he was finally let out by his mother, his first thought was of his siblings. He hoped their mother had remembered to feed them. Jake was only three years old, he couldn't take care of a baby. Then again, Mike had been younger than that when he'd learned to take care of himself and his baby brother.

His mother scolded him, but he was only half paying attention. Once she was done, he ran upstairs to his and Jake's room. He found Jake and Lizzie sleeping in his bed. They looked okay, and he let out a sigh of relief.

Mike changed into his pajamas, it was late and he hadn't slept much in the closet, he never did. He laid down and slept in Jake's bed. He slept peacefully, until he felt a pair of hands grab him by the shoulders and yank him out of bed. He woke up, but he was only half awake.

"Wakey, wakey, Michael." He felt a slap that jerked him fully awake. Jake woke up too, and once he saw their father he yelled, "Run Mike, run!"

Victor turned on Jake and he grabbed him and pulled him out of bed and threw him onto the floor, as well. "It's rude to interrupt, Jacob."

"Leave him alone!" Mike screamed.

Victor looked back at him, and his eyes flashed. He asked, "Michael, would you prefer I hurt you, instead of Jacob?"

It took a lot of courage to get his next words out, but he managed to honestly say, "Y-Yes."

"All right then." He kicked Jake in the ribs, making him scream and cry in pain. It woke up Lizzie and she started wailing.

"I wanted you to hurt me!" cried Mike. He knelt down by Jake and put his arms around him. He used his body to shield his little brother.

"Oh, but I am, Michael." He gripped him by the hair and pulled him away, and then he grabbed Jake by the hair and rammed his head onto the floor. Jake's breathing was shallow, he didn't cry out anymore.

"Stop it!" he screamed. Part of him was telling him to stop, because standing up to him would only make everything worse, for him and for Jake, but he couldn't just sit by and do nothing. "Stay away from him! Why do you hurt him so much, he's your son! He never did anything wrong, stop hurting him! If you hate us so much, why do you keep coming here? Why won't you leave us alone? Look what you did to Jake, he's really bad hurt, don't you care about him at all?"

"Oh no, I don't hate you," said his father as he grinned down at him. "That's why I come back."

That didn't make any sense at all to Mike, but it didn't matter, understanding wouldn't have changed anything. Despite all Mike's attempts to stop his father, the horror wouldn't end. He finally left after a while, with Jake unconscious on the floor, Lizzie wailing on the bed, and Mike crying helplessly. He hadn't left a single mark on Mike that night, no marks you could see, anyway.

Mike gently put Jake's battered body in his bed. He was still breathing and he seemed to be okay, but Mike refused to sleep. He moved a chair by Jake's bed to watch him, in case he got worse and needed him. He wanted to take him to the doctor, but he was afraid he'd get them all in trouble if he did.

_If only I was bigger and stronger, then I could take care of you. I'd make sure no one ever hurt you again,_ he thought to himself.

He took Lizzie in his arms and consoled her, and he held onto her the rest of the night, long after she went back to sleep. She was always comforting to him, but he was very worried about her. It wouldn't be much longer before she would learn to walk, and that should have been a good thing, but their father had started beating Jake once he'd learned to walk. Mike had taught Jake to walk when he was four, he thought that maybe if Lizzie never learned to walk, Victor wouldn't hurt her. But even if he didn't teach her, she'd probably teach herself. He'd taught himself, after all.

When the sun rose, Mike was exhausted, but he was so worried about Jake he barely noticed. He put Lizzie down in his bed and went to the kitchen to look for something for breakfast, but the cupboards and fridge were bare. He went to his mother's room, where she was lying face-down in bed.

"Mommy, we're hungry," he said tentatively. He had to be careful here, one wrong move could set her off. "There's no food left, we need more."

She didn't respond. He saw her purse by the end of the bed and he took some money out of it and stuffed it in his pocket. He'd learned at a very young age that if something needed to be done and he didn't do it, it probably wouldn't get done. He was worried to leave Jake and Lizzie here by themselves, but he couldn't take them with him, and they'd starve if he didn't go out to the store. He looked out the window to make sure his father's car was gone, and then he took his little red wagon from the backyard and pulled it behind him down the sidewalk. Luckily, the grocery store wasn't far off from his house, so he didn't have to go too far.

He pulled wagon into the store. He only got food that he knew how to prepare: cereal, milk, crackers, chocolate chip cookies, bread, peanut butter and jelly, syrup, and a box of waffle mix. He took it to the cashier, who said, "Since when do people let their toddlers buy the groceries?"

"My mom's sick, I'm helping her." He handed her the money, and she didn't ask any more questions. He pulled his wagon behind him, but one of the mean neighbor boys stopped him along the way.

"You don't pass until you pay up."

"I don't have any more money."

"Then give me some of your food."

"I need this!"

"It's either that or I give you a knuckle sandwich."

Mike sighed and handed him the cookies, and he left, satisfied. He had hoped to give them to Jake to help him feel better, but at least he still had the rest.

He made it back home without any more trouble, and he went up to his room to check on Jake. Jake was sitting up in bed with his arms around his chest. He already had a lot of bruises starting to appear, and his face was ashen. Lizzie was wide awake, quietly waiting for someone to come for her.

"It hurts to breathe," Jake said weakly. "My head hurts real bad."

"I think you're okay. Are you hungry? I just got back from the store."

"A little."

"I'll be right back." At least he could help in this way. He scooped up Lizzie, changed her diaper, and took her downstairs. He set her down on the floor and started getting to work on breakfast. He wanted to make Jake feel better, and he needed some cheering up himself, so he got to work on making waffles. He'd seen his mother do it, and though he'd never done it before, he was certain he could do it.

He pulled up a chair and got to mixing. He turned on the waffle iron and poured in the mix. He accidentally burned his finger and the waffles stuck to the iron, but otherwise they came out fine, though just a touch overdone. In one arm he carried Lizzie, and in the other he carried the waffles up to Jake. He handed him a plate, but took one of the waffles and crumbled it up and gave it to Lizzie to eat.

Jake ate a few bites, then said, "I can't eat anymore."

Mike took one for himself and ate it. He had done a good job, for his first try. He spent the next two days nursing Jake back to health. He was still sore and bruised, but he recovered. The bad memory of the beating surprisingly led to Jake's happiest one. It had been Mal's favorite once, but not anymore. Now it just irritated the hell out of him.

It rained all night long, but by morning the sky was sunny and clear. Mike was exhausted from taking care of his little siblings, so he wanted to sleep in late. But Jake was hyper and ready to play.

"Mike! Mike wake up!" said Jake as he shook Mike's shoulder.

Mike groaned and said, "I want to stay in bed, you go play by yourself."

"The sun's up, that means it's time to wake up and have fun! Come on, if you keep sleeping the day will be over, we have to play now!"

Mike pushed Jake out of his bed, but he sat up and said, "Last one downstairs is a rotten egg!"

They raced down the stairs and hurriedly got ready to go outside and play. Mike pulled Jake and Lizzie to the park in his wagon. Their mother was in another of her moods where she wouldn't leave the bed and their father wasn't home, so it meant they could have fun without having to worry.

"Hey Jake, look what I can do!" Mike did a handstand, and was able to hold it for a few seconds before falling over onto his back. "I was watching people on the 'lympics do stuff like that, and I tried out some of their moves."

"Cool! Will you push me on the swing?"

Mike put Lizzie in one of the baby swings and pushed her and Jake in the swings for a while. Jake kept yelling, "Higher! Higher!" until he was about to go over the top.

Mike took Lizzie to the top of the slide and slid down with her. Lizzie actually giggled as they went down the slide, she had never laughed before. Mike laughed along with her when he heard it.

"You like that Lizzie? You want to go down again?" He kept going down the slide with her as long as it kept making her laugh.

The ground was wet and muddy, so they ended up getting mud all over themselves. At around lunchtime, the ice cream truck came by the park. Mike took the little change he'd managed to save and bought all three of them ice cream. They ate by a row of rose bushes, and Lizzie kept grabbing the petals and playing with them.

After their ice cream was gone, Jake noticed a snake slithering by. "Mike! A snake!" He jumped up and got away from it. Mike was about to run, but he recognized the snake from a show he'd seen on TV once.

"It's all right, Jake, this kind of snake isn't poisonous." He picked it up and smiled. "He can't hurt us."

"Are you sure?"

"He's not biting me, and he won't bite you, either. Here, pet him." Mike held out the snake, and Jake reluctantly touched its head with his fingers. When it didn't bite him, he relaxed and petted it a little more. "See? He's your friend. Hey, I brought our baseball from home, want to play catch?"

"Sure!" Mike put Lizzie in the sandbox so she wouldn't get hit by the ball, and he kept a close eye on her while they played. Jake wasn't very coordinated yet and so he had trouble throwing and catching the ball, but Mike patiently taught him all he knew.

"Grip the ball tight, and put your whole body into the throw. Throw the ball at that tree over there."

It took Jake several tries to hit the tree, but when he did he jumped up and down.

"I hit it!"

"Now try throwing to me."

Jake threw the ball, but he missed Mike by several feet.

"I'll never get it right," he said in frustration.

"That was a good throw, Jake. Just keep your eye on the ball when I'm throwing it, and keep your eyes on me when you're throwing it." Mike tossed him the ball, and Jake caught it.

"I caught it! Did you see Mike, did you see me? I caught it!"

"Great job, Jake! I knew you could do it!"

They started playing tag and hide and seek. When one of them would find the other, they would have to catch them. Mike was bigger and faster, so he slowed down enough for Jake to keep up. Whenever Jake caught Mike, he would jump on his back and Mike would give him a piggy-back ride.

That evening, as the sun was going down, Mike and Jake were lying on the grass by the trees. Lizzie was lying on Mike's chest, fast asleep.

"Why can't every day be like this, Jake? Happy and fun, with no one messing it up for us."

The memory ended, and Mal heard laughter echoing in his mind, Jake's happy laughter mixing with Mike and Lizzie's.

"_That's not me,"_ he whispered as he forced the sound out of his head.

"_But it used to be you, back when you were so pathetic. You still are pathetic, but you hide it better now."_

He closed his eyes and said,_ "Shut up."_

Mal was Mike's demon, but he had a demon of his very own. A hallucination of Victor Wise often visited him, and he hated him more than he had ever hated anything.

"_Why'd you let Mike win?" _he asked in his calm, quiet voice. He always spoke in a soothing tone, which only made him hate him more.

"_The prize will only get better with time. Good things come to those who wait."_

"_That may be part of it, but I think that wasn't the only reason. I think part of it is because you'd still like to be Mike's friend, if such a thing were possible. A tiny part of you, certainly, but still. Am I right?" _

"_Go die in a fire."_

"_Too late, you already saw to that. You should have died with me, you should have been there, looking me in the eye as we both went up in smoke. But you were too cowardly for that, so you ran away."_

"_You're right, and we should have played ring-around-the-rosie while we were at it."_

"_You know, I was really amused when you tried to make Mike think he was an alternate personality. He was stupid enough to fall for it, and you were too stupid to see why it would be impossible for you to be the original."_

"_And why's that, Daddy Dearest?"_ he said as he finally opened his eyes to look at him. Sometimes when he saw him, he was a charred black corpse, but this time he looked just like he had when he was alive. Tall, handsome, an older version of Mike, but could be missed if you didn't know he was his father. There were differences between him and Mike, though. He wasn't as thin as Mike, and he had a few wrinkles. He didn't have a gap in his teeth, Mike had inherited that from his mother. His hair was slightly more tame, but still unruly. He and Mike had the same eyes, except Victor's eyes were empty and cold, while Mike's had a spark of life in them, and were softer, caring. Victor was smiling that same old smile he'd had on his face whenever he hurt Mike. It used to scare him, now he didn't care.

"_You'll remember what Michael's doctor said all those years ago, you know, after you lost all your power. She said that you alternate personalities are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Except in your case, you're not repeating your own mistakes, you're repeating mine. What did I do whenever I was around? Hurt Mike. What do you do every day? Hurt Mike, whether directly or indirectly. You think you chose this? No, you had no choice, you were doomed from the start. You're the part of Mike's brain that can't let go of the past, can't let go of me, so you, for all intents and purposes, became me. You love chaos, you love what you do, it's the only thing you're capable of loving. But if you ever wanted to stop, if you ever wanted to make amends with Mike, you'd find it to be impossible. Funny, you started out as Jake with all his memories and characteristics, but all the while you were me, at heart. It just took you a while to realize it. You tried to get rid of me, but all you've ever done is keep me alive, and that's something you can't ever change. What would it do to you if anyone ever found out who you used to be?_

"_At my core I might be you, but I've done things you never did."_ Mal came and stood before him. He was a little taller and he looked down at him, which irked him. _"Talk all you want about how pathetic you think I am, you can't change the fact that you created your own undoing, you caused your own downfall. You couldn't see what you were doing, you couldn't see how you were twisting his brain and creating the perfect storm that would bring about your own destruction. Never kick a dog because he's a pup. You'd better run for cover when the pup grows up."_

"_Yes, I made mistakes, and you're repeating them,"_ he replied smugly. _"And you'll keep repeating them until the day Michael dies. You are a monster, but you are a caged monster. Hate me all you want, you're only continuing on my legacy."_

The hallucination laughed and vanished. Mal roared in fury, he wanted to kill him all over again, he wanted to kill him a thousand times in a thousand different ways.

He had only two choices. He could keep doing what he was already doing, what he had been doing for years: torment Mike. But if he did that, then it would mean he was staying on that predetermined path, and would be continuing on with his father's work. Or, he could try to make amends with the others, prove that he was in charge of his own destiny and that he could do whatever he wanted, he wasn't doomed to live in a cycle like all the others.

This triggered another memory in Mal's mind, but this one actually did belong to him. It was a few months before he took full control, back when he was still Mike's best friend when he was eight years old. Manitoba had been in control for over a week, exploring the mountain near the house. He knew that his mother would throw a fit, and his father would be furious. Mike was very upset, but that wasn't the reason. He was crying, and he wasn't sure why.

"_What's wrong, Mike?"_ he had asked. The others were all off doing their own thing. When Mike was in there with them, Mal always tried to keep them away so it would just be the two of them.

"_Today's Lizzie's birthday, she would have been four today. Every year I've done something for her birthday, even if it was something small, but I can't today. Manitoba and the others are busy and I can't do anything. I'm the only one who remembers her birthday."_

Mal hugged him, it was all he could do. He kept crying, and Mal felt tears of his own slide down his face. He missed her, too. They were two brothers, mourning for all they had lost and could never get back.

"_It's going to be okay, Mike. You'll see her again someday, we both will. She's probably happier where she is, she never has to feel scared or get hurt. I know she misses you just like you miss her, but you don't ever have to worry about her, she's waiting for you. But at least you'll always have me."_

No, there was no way he was going back to that. Even if he tried, even if he wanted to with all his heart, he couldn't keep it up for long, it sickened him just to think of it. No, his job was to torment Mike and everyone else. Maybe it wasn't his own choice, but hey, he was good at it.

But it made him feel antsy; maybe he couldn't be patient after all. As much as he wanted to wait, as patient as he was, he didn't think he could last long. He started whistling and envisioning the violent and painful deaths of Zoey and everyone else Mike cared about to pass the time, and to distract himself from the torrent of thoughts assaulting him, but it wasn't enough. He was going to have to break out soon, sooner than he had planned, because he couldn't stand this. As much as he tried to believe that memories of the past, Jake's and his, had no power over him, they always did. He couldn't spend eternity at the mercy of those memories, he needed to take control back, and soon. He could find distractions that way, and there was nothing he needed more than a good distraction.

The next morning, Zoey realized that Mike had forgotten to take his jacket home. She called his house to let them know. "Hey Holly, I'm just calling to let you know that Mike forgot his jacket here last night. We were going on a walk and it was cold, so he let me borrow it to stay warm. Could you tell him I'll bring it to him the next time I see him?"

"Thanks Zoey, but um, when did he leave?"

"Last night, after our walk. Why?"

"He didn't come home last night, we assumed he was staying with you."

"Where do you think he is?"

"He might have gone to Trent or Cameron's house, I'll call them and see if they know where he is."

Holly told herself she didn't need to worry. Mike was nineteen now and was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. She called Mike's cellphone first and got no answer. She called Trent, Cameron, and his other friends next, but none of them had seen him.

Zoey called a few hours later. "I can't get in touch with Mike, either. Have you found him yet?"

"No, and I'm starting to worry. He might have wrecked on his way home last night because of the storm, but the roads are so bad we can't go out and look. It's probably nothing, Manitoba or Vito probably took over and went off to do their own thing, it wouldn't be the first time."

"I know, but I'm still worried."

"Me too. We had a GPS tracker installed in his cellphone so that we can track him in an emergency like this, we'll try that."

They called the police, and they followed the signal thirty miles away. When they reached the place the tracker was taking them to, the signal took them to Zoey's father's car. After searching for a few minutes, they found his cellphone duct-taped to the underside of the car. Now it was indisputable that one of his personalities had taken over and gone off on their own, and whichever personality was in control, they knew about the tracker and didn't want to be followed. At that point, it was pretty obvious who it was, and that made the situation a hundred times worse.

The roads were flooded, so they had to wait a few days before they could begin their search. Two weeks after his disappearance, Holly was at the mall looking for Mike. She doubted she would find him here, but she couldn't sit at home, she had to do something. Jack was out doing the same. She rounded the mall, and she stopped for a few minutes by the restrooms. A man came by on a cellphone, he was with his wife.

He hung up the phone and said, "I have to go."

"Honey, it's your day off."

"They need more nurses at the hospital. A guy jumped off a building, he's alive but they don't think he will be for long."

Holly didn't listen to any more of their conversation, she took off running for the nearest exit. She didn't get in her car, she didn't even think about it. Her brain could only process one goal: get to the hospital. She ran the entire way there, not noticing the looks she got from other people.

By the time she got to the hospital, she was sweaty and panting, but she didn't stop. She followed the team of doctors working, knowing that she had only seconds before someone forced her out. Mal had never shown signs of being suicidal, but she wouldn't put it past him.

She looked at the body on the stretcher. It was bloody, but she could still see his face. He had light skin and hair, it wasn't Mike.

"Hey lady, you can't be in here!" a male nurse said. She left immediately.

"Oh thank God," she said once she was out of the ER.

"What is it?" Another woman asked. "Is my son going to be okay?"

"I don't know, I'm sorry. I thought it might be my son, I'm so sorry."

The woman burst into tears, and Holly comforted her until the doctors came out and declared her son dead. She didn't even know this woman's name, but she needed someone and she wasn't about to leave her alone. She held onto her while she sobbed for her lost son, and Holly cried for her own. She felt guilty for being relieved that it wasn't Mike, but he was still out there somewhere. What this woman was going through could very likely be her future.

The police found Mike's car a week later. They found it parked by the high school, and inside they found a tape recorder. They went to their house to tell Jack and Holly what they had found. They let them listen to the tape, and they heard Mike's voice.

"Mom, Dad, Zoey, I'm sorry you have to find out like this, but I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back. It's time for me to move on and be on my own. Don't try to find me, I'm perfectly safe and you have nothing to worry about. Goodbye, I love you."

"That might sound like Mike's voice on the recording, but it wasn't him!" said Jack. "He wouldn't do something like this."

"Didn't your son leave some years back without warning you?" asked one of the cops.

"Well yes, but he left us a better explanation than this," said Holly. "He has an alternate personality that can imitate him, that's got to be him on the tape! If it is him, that means Mike is in danger, you have to keep looking for him."

"People with disorders like this are unstable and unpredictable."

Jack grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt. "You listen to me. Mike would not just take off and leave like this without saying telling someone. He needs help and if you call off the search, whatever happens to him will be on your hands."

The tape didn't fool Mike's parents, but it wasn't supposed to. It was to stop the police from searching for him. "I'm sorry sir, but Mike is an adult and he clearly states on the tape that he is safe. We'll keep an eye out for him, but we can't expend our resources to look for an adult who left of his own free will and doesn't want to be found."

The police stopped looking for Mike, so it was up to his parents, Zoey, and his friends to look for him.

After the first six months passed, there was still no sign of him. Every day was filled with worry and silence. Jack and Holly went to work and tried to continue on with their lives as usual, and it took every ounce of strength in them to make it through each day. At home, they hardly spoke to each other, they had nothing to say.

Zoey was driving and talking to Gwen on her cellphone.

"Trent has been asking customers at his bike shop if they have any info on Mike, and I've been doing research online. We haven't found anything, it's like he just disappeared off the face of the earth."

"Mal must be very good at staying under the radar, but he can't hide forever. Can he?"

"Surely not, he'll show his face eventually. Zoey, it's been a while since you've done anything for yourself. I haven't seen you face to face in weeks. Maybe you and I should take a day and do something to take your mind off all this. Leshawna's concerned, too."

"I'll think about it. I feel selfish doing anything that's not helping me find Mike or get through my classes, but I'll try."

"Call me anytime, Zoey. We're here for you."

"Thanks, Gwen."

She hung up the phone and pulled up in Jack and Holly's driveway. Zoey came over to visit them often, because as much as she was suffering, she knew they were suffering much more. Despite coming over so often, she always rang the doorbell instead of just coming right in.

"Hey, Zoey," said Jack as he opened the door for her. He wrapped her in a hug, and she hugged him back. She came over to make sure they were doing okay, but she needed it, too.

"Hey, Jack. Any news?"

"No, nothing. How's college going?" He was trying to smile for her, but she could see the pain in his eyes.

"I'm at the top of every class I'm in, even though I shouldn't be. There are others who are way smarter and more talented, but to distract myself I've been pouring all my efforts into finding Mike and schoolwork. I feel kind of bad about it, I might be honored for it and I don't deserve it, I just can't stop. But, I only have two more years and I'll be teaching in my very own classroom."

"That's good to hear. Holly's upstairs working on homework for her online classes, she's the same way. More than one teacher has told her to slow down, they're swamped with all the extra work she's sending in."

"What are you doing for dinner?" she asked. All the stress made her forget to eat sometimes, and she knew it was the same with them. She actually had written a reminder to herself to eat in the schedule on her phone, and even then she rarely had an appetite. It was easier for all of them if they ate together.

"I hadn't thought of that. We might order out."

"Do you think you and I could make something? I could use a distraction."

"Yeah, sure. It's been a while since I've cooked anything worth eating. Does spaghetti sound good to you?"

"That'll be fine."

They went to the kitchen together. As Jack started getting out the ingredients, he said, "You know, spaghetti was the first thing Mike and I ever cooked together. He was so small then, and at the time we didn't know he had multiple personalities. That was ten years ago, can you believe it?" he said wistfully.

"It's so strange," said Zoey. She looked at the fridge, where there were many pictures of Mike hanging. "Mike just fit here so well, he's so much like you and Holly, you influenced him in so many ways. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was your biological child. I love that about your family."

Jack's eyes filled with tears. He cleared his throat and said, "You know, when cooking spaghetti, you need the proper seasonings, but you don't want too much or too little. It took Mike a few tries to get it just right, but he got it eventually. I'll show you how it's done."

Cooking dinner helped take their minds off of Mike, and they both felt better for it. After they finished, they called Holly down to eat. Dinner was quiet, and they only at ate little on their plates. Still though, the mood was better than it usually was. Zoey was the only thing that could lift their spirits anymore, and they were so grateful to have her.

After dinner, once they had cleaned the kitchen and put everything away, Satchimo came down the stairs looking gloomy. Zoey knew Mike wouldn't want his dog to feel abandoned, so she would love on him in his place. She knelt down and rubbed behind his ears. "You want to go for a walk?"

Satchimo still looked sad, but she opened the door and he walked outside. She followed behind him, and then broke into a run. He chased after her, and she led him to the park. She actually laughed when he jumped on her playfully, she almost never laughed anymore.

She picked up a stick and threw it, and he chased after it. As he was bringing it back to her, the park's sprinkler system went off. Even though it was getting towards the end of fall and it had been chilly for weeks now, for some reason that day it was hot and humid, so the water was welcome. They both ran through the sprinklers, Zoey felt like a kid again doing it. She got completely soaked, and Satchimo rolled around in a mud puddle and got completely filthy.

"All right Satch, let's head home," she said after the sprinklers shut off. He shook out his fur and followed her. On their way home, a cat walked up to her and nuzzled her legs. It was Zelda, Mike had told her about her. She stopped over and picked her up and rubbed behind her ears, and the cat purred happily.

"Mike told me once that he loved you because of what you taught him," she quietly as she continued on walking with the cat in her arms. "He said you taught him that even though people leave or walk out of your life, they could always come back someday. I could use some of that hope right now."

The cat leapt out of her arms and continued on her way, never content to stay in one place for too long. When they got back to the house, she took off her shoes before coming inside and then picked up the muddy dog and carried him to the bathroom to wash him.

"Zoey, you don't have to do that, I know you have that allergy," said Holly.

"It's okay, I took a Benadryl before coming here." She yawned. "I intentionally took the kind that makes me drowsy so that I might sleep better tonight."

Satchimo didn't put up any resistance, so bathing him was easy. She washed off all the mud and then used a hair dryer to dry his fur. Once she was done, the dog took off running.

"Zoey?" said Holly as she was leaving the bathroom. "Would you mind if we did something? I could give you a manicure."

Zoey was tired, but she could see that Holly needed it. And her nails could use some love, she hadn't been taking care of them. "Sure, that'd be great."

She sat down at the kitchen table and Holly got to work. "Thanks for letting me do this, I know you're drained. Doing nails is a big stress reliever for me. Early on in our marriage, Jack and I fought sometimes, though we don't fight nearly as much now. I learned to take my frustrations and release them through my work. It's a good thing I did, because Mike's alters really drove me up the wall sometimes. Jack is the same, he lets off steam by experimenting new recipes, some work, some really don't."

Zoey noticed Holly's nails, they were painted in an elaborate design that she could never pull off. "I had to let off steam like that with Mike sometimes, too. I would make decorations for my room, or I would work out, or sometimes I would just blare my music and eat chocolate all day. I always felt bad about it though, I know nothing his alters did was his fault, and I know he kept things from me in an attempt to protect me, but it was hard sometimes."

"Don't feel guilty, everyone has to let off steam to keep from hurting the people they love. You found constructive ways to do it, and you calmed down so you could work things out with Mike in a positive way, and that's a good thing. Yelling and taking your anger out on him wouldn't have helped anything. All the times I yelled at Jack certainly didn't solve any of our problems."

"Lately, I've taken to punching my pillow until it's nothing but a pile of feathers. I miss him so much… I just feel so helpless."

"Zoey, I want you to know something. As much as I appreciate you staying loyal to Mike, Jack and I would completely understand if you want to move on and be with someone else."

"What are you talking about? I would never give up on Mike."

"I'm not saying stop loving him, I'm saying move on with your life. There is a very real possibility that we might never see him again, and I don't want to see your life slip away in waiting and searching. I don't want you to feel trapped, like you have no choice in the matter. As worried as we are about Mike, we're worried about you, too. Don't feel guilty if you do decide to find someone else, do whatever you think you should do."

"I don't know if I can."

"I know, if I was in your place, I don't think I could move on from Jack, either. It's just something to think about. But I really do appreciate everything you did for Mike, and everything you're doing for us now. I don't know what we'd do without you, you're so precious to us. There, your nails are done. What do you think of the design?"

Zoey admired the design. She had painted them red and green, and on top of the red and green she had painted snowflakes.

"It's going to be Christmas soon. This will be our first Christmas in ten years without him," said Holly as she wiped away tears. "He always loved Christmas so much."

Zoey laid a hand on her shoulder and said, "We'll find him. Who knows, we might find him in time for Christmas." She didn't believe it, and she knew Holly didn't either, but they both needed to hear it anyway.

"I'm going to go up to Mike's room," said Zoey. "I love the design on my nails, by the way."

"Goodnight, Zoey," said Holly. She didn't question it, this was a normal thing for them now.

She went up the stairs to his room. His parents hadn't touched it since he left, so it was the same as it had been on that last day. Satchimo was sleeping on the edge of the bed. The bed was where Mike's scent was strongest, so the dog spent most of his time there. Zoey rubbed behind his ears again. "I bet you miss him the most of all of us."

She took off her shirt and put on one of his, and she went around the room admiring his things. She looked at his calendar, which was still on the month it had been when he went missing half a year ago. She looked at the dates marked on it: play practice, hanging out with Trent and Cameron, and one day circled with a red pen: her birthday.

She saw a book on his bedside table, one she'd recommended. He'd been halfway through it. She picked it up and flipped through it, and to her surprise, two tickets fell out onto the floor. They were to the concert she'd wanted to see for her nineteenth birthday. But if he'd already bought tickets for the concert, why had he asked her what she wanted? But the answer was obvious: Mike knew her well enough to know she'd want to go to that concert, but he'd still been worried he'd chosen the wrong gift. These tickets were expensive, but if he thought he'd gotten her the wrong gift, he would have gone to the ends of the earth to find the perfect one, just to make her happy.

She sat down on the bed and hugged his pillow to her chest. She could almost smell him on it. "Oh Mike, where are you?"

She laid down and pulled his blanket over herself. She could have slept in the middle of the bed, but she laid down on the edge, like she used to when sharing the bed with Mike. She kept hugging the pillow, pretending he was there with her. She was able to fall asleep, but it was a troubled sleep. She had nightmares, she had them often since Mike disappeared.

"Zoey," she heard a familiar voice whisper.

She turned over in bed, and there was Mike, lying by her side. He brushed her hair out of her eyes, and she said, "Mike, is it really you?"

"I've missed you so much," he said as he stroked her cheek.

She almost smiled, but then she heard another familiar voice say, "I missed you, too."

She turned to the other side, and there was Mal, lying next to her and smiling wickedly. She was in the middle between them.

"Why won't you let him go?" she asked.

"I can't let him go, because I'm more a part of him than his own arms. But unlike his arms, he can't just cut me off. He got rid of his tormentors a long time ago, but he's still got me to remind him that he can't ever be free of his demons."

"Get out, leave us alone."

"You know that if you decide to spend the rest of your life together, that every night will be like this. You won't just be sharing a bed with Mike, you'll be sharing a bed with everyone else tagging along for the ride."

"I said, get out!" she yelled. She tried to push him away, but her hand went through him like mist. Suddenly, she was in a gorgeous ballroom with dozens of other people. The ceiling was made of glass, and she could see the full moon.

She caught sight of herself in a mirror; she was in a Victorian style dress, black as midnight. Her hair was long and piled up on her head in an elaborate braid, and she was wearing a tight corset. This was a masquerade ball, and she wore a feathery black mask that made her look like a raven. No, she looked like a widow.

Someone tapped her on the shoulder and said, "May I have this dance?"

She spun around and saw Mike, smiling and offering her his hand. He was wearing a white suit and a white mask. She eagerly accepted his hand and they started dancing together.

"Are you back for good?" she asked as she put her head on his shoulder. He put his arms around her waist and held her close as the music slowed. She recognized the song as the one he had written for her.

"Of course I am, I would never leave you."

"But you did leave me. You left me and I had no idea where you went."

"I'm back now, and I'm here to stay."

The song ended, and another started. This one was much faster. She felt another hand tap her shoulder. She looked up and saw that it was Mal. He was wearing a red suit with a matching red mask. The suit had strange white splotches on it, but then she realized that it wasn't red with white splotches, it was white soaked in blood. He grinned at her and took her hand, and she tried to pull away, but Mike let go of her and Mal pulled her in.

"Ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?" he asked as he began to dance with her. He had his hand on her waist, and it made her skin crawl. She couldn't get away, she was forced to dance with him.

"Let go of me," she said through her teeth.

"Well that was rude. Is that any way to talk to your dancing partner?" he asked as they twirled.

"You're not my partner. You disgust me, I hate you, no, I loathe you. There aren't words for how I feel about you."

"Why Zoey, I had no idea you had such strong feelings for me. Must be hard, loving and hating the same person at the same time."

"I don't love you."

"No, I meant Mike. To hate me is to hate a big part of him."

"You might be part of him," said Zoey as they dipped. "But you aren't him. Now, I said, let me go!" she yelled at him.

"I get all tingly when you take control like that." He released her, but held onto her hand. He kissed it and dipped in a low bow, his eyes still on her and still grinning.

She tore her hand out of his, the ballroom disappeared, and it was replaced by a church. She was wearing a white wedding gown, holding a bouquet of red roses. Mike was on her left side, Mal on her right, their arms intertwined through hers. They were both wearing tuxedoes, and they both wore corsages. Mike's was a red rose, like Zoey's bouquet, while Mal's rose was black and withered.

They walked her down the aisle, and they reached the altar. They let go and stood before her, one on the left, and one on the right, and she was supposed to stand in the middle. They were waiting for her to join them. Mike was smiling, and Mal still had that malicious grin on his face. They both gestured her forward.

"Come on, Zoey," said Mike encouragingly.

"Don't just stand there, silly," said Mal.

"I'm not marrying you, Mal," she said in revulsion.

"Uh oh, I guess no one told you. You see, Zoey, you marry Mike, you marry his disorder. I hope you're ready to deal with that for the next forty years."

"Mike is more than just his disorder, it won't control him or me," said Zoey defiantly. She got right up in his face and said, "I love him just the way he is, with MPD or without, and you don't scare me."

"Well then, this is really awkward, because Mike isn't going to make it to the honeymoon," said Mal. He took out a gun and fired a bullet into Mike's head, and he instantly dropped.

"No, Mike!" She dropped the flowers and ran over to him and held his lifeless body in her arms, getting blood all over her dress. Her tears hit his face, making it look like he was crying.

"Mike's not coming back this time." Mal got down on one knee. His face and tux were splattered with Mike's blood. "He's gone for good, and you'll never see him again."

"Why do you do these terrible things?" she asked. "Can't you see what you're doing? Don't you care at all about the pain you've caused? Why can't you see it?"

"It's who I am, it's who I always was and always will be."

"Get away from us!" she screamed at him. "Leave Mike alone!"

"Poor Zoey," said Mal as he shook his head. He was no longer smiling. "Always a widow, never a bride."

She looked down, her dress was no longer white, it was black, like her dress at the ball. Mike's body turned to ash in her hands, and she screamed.

Zoey woke up screaming in a cold sweat. She made herself stop screaming as she realized it had all just been a nightmare. She sobbed into Mike's pillow as Satchimo let out a low, mournful howl.


	29. Memories

_~Takes place right before We Were His Protectors~_

For two years, Jack, Holly, and Zoey made calls, hung up posters, and did everything they could to look for Mike. They watched the news and sat by the phone, waiting for news of any kind.

They had to wonder if he was even still alive at this point. Mal didn't care what happened to him, so there was a very real possibility that he could die somewhere and they would never know about it. They had come to terms with this after the first year. They still desperately hoped that he was alive out there somewhere, but even if he was dead, they still wanted to find him so they could have closure.

Another six months passed. A lot of people told Zoey she should move on and find someone else, Mike wasn't coming back and so she was throwing her life away waiting for him. She tried to take their advice, because all the stress of looking for Mike was taking its toll. She had lost weight and she barely slept at all anymore, and she rarely spent time with friends.

She finally gave in and tried going on a date with another guy. She tried so hard to like him, but she couldn't do it. He was a nice guy, it wasn't his fault, she just couldn't do it. She explained to him halfway through their date why this wouldn't work, and he was very understanding.

It was the beginning of summer, two and a half years after he disappeared, when he was finally found. Except, no one found him, he got their attention.

Zoey was visiting Jack and Holly when she got a text from Harold saying, _Check your email._ Intrigued, she took out her laptop and saw he had sent her a message.

_As you know, I've been scouring the internet for any information on Mike, since he's a friend of Leshawna's. For months I've had no luck, until last night, when I accidentally stumbled across a video that some people have been trying to destroy._

_A month ago, Mal was taken into police custody. Because of Mike's disorder, he was sentenced to stay in a mental asylum for the criminally insane indefinitely. You haven't heard about this because the mob, or what's left of it now, has been trying to keep it quiet. What he did embarrassed them, made them look weak. They don't want the public to know what one man did to them, so they've spent a lot of money trying to bury the story. He made the police look bad too, so they didn't report the story and kept it quiet. Very few people know about this, but I sent you the video. Watch it soon, it'll probably be gone by morning. Brace yourself, it's not easy to watch. I hope Mike will be okay._

Zoey typed a quick reply thanking him, and then called Jack and Holly over to watch the video with her. When the video began, they immediately saw Mal. It was nighttime, and he was standing on the roof of a building.

"Are we rolling, Rory?" he asked.

"Ready, boss."

"Good." He looked into the camera and smiled. "Hello, world. I'm coming to you from atop Watson Bank, the bank the mob uses for their money laundering. I'm joined by a few guests, one of them is my most loyal henchman. Show them your face, Rory."

Rory turned the camera around to his face. He was a vagrant, with a beard and dirt smeared on his face. He waved awkwardly, and then turned the camera back to Mal.

"We also have the most notorious leaders in the mob with us tonight. They were kind enough to accept my invitation."

Rory pointed the camera down, showing a hole they'd blown in the roof. Inside, there were over a dozen men and women, all tied together.

"For the past couple years I've had my fun, but a few days ago these guys called me and asked me to do a job, they wanted me to kill someone for them," said Mal. "What am I, pest control? Rather than do a job for them like a lackey, I thought of something more fun to do."

"You maniac!" One of the hostages yelled. "This wasn't part of the deal! Let me go!"

"You needed help and you asked for my services, well here you go!" He took a barrel of gasoline and tipped it over, pouring gasoline all over them.

"Listen Mal, we'll give you whatever you want!" another one of them begged. "Take all the money in this bank, every cent of it! Just don't do this! We never did nothin' to you!"

Mal pondered it for a moment. "I can do whatever I want with the money?"

"Yes, anything! Just let us go!"

"Okay, it's a deal." Mal took out a lighter and tried to produce a flame.

"What are you doing? If you agree then let us go!"

"Hold on, it's faulty. This lighter doesn't like me very much."

"Where are the police?" one of them asked. "Why isn't anyone stopping him?"

"I guess I'm just not important enough for the police to bother with," he replied with a pouty frown. He finally got the lighter to spark. "Aha! There we go, sorry about the delay, folks."

"What about the money?!" one of them shouted. "You're going to destroy all the money!"

"You said I could do whatever I want with it, right? Well this is what I want! You know, we had fun in the short time we had together. Here's to warm friendships." He dropped the lighter, and they all blood-curdling screams as it fell. It landed in one man's lap, and they were all instantly engulfed in flames. The flames spread to the rest of the building as they screamed. Mal looked down the hole and smiled.

"Come on, Rory. Let's go meet our adoring public."

They climbed off the building, and all the onlookers took off screaming. Police cars finally started showing up, and Mal and Rory were arrested on the spot. Rory was still holding the camera, so it was shaky and all over the place, it was hard to tell what exactly was going on. One thing Zoey was able to make out in the video was that all the cops she could see were covered in glitter or confetti, and some appeared to be wounded. It was a very strange sight to see, were they all at a party? They all looked furious, and they didn't hold back when taking Mal and Rory down. Rory put up a fight, but Mal put up no resistance, he didn't even try to escape. Firetrucks drove up as well, but it was too late to save the building, or the people inside. The cops shut off the camera as they were putting them in the car.

Zoey knew the bank had burned down, but according to the news, it was due to faulty wiring. Harold sent her another email, this time explaining why there were no cops to stop Mal before he destroyed the bank.

_The reason the police weren't there was because they were preoccupied with Mal's red herrings. An hour before he burned the bank, he called the police and told them he set up dozens of bombs in the city, and he gave them the locations to all of them. The first they found turned out to be a fake, full of glitter, paper hearts, and stuffed kittens. Even so, they were forced to check each and every bomb, because one of them might have been real. They were all fake. The police didn't make the case public because it would make them look incompetent, even though they were just doing their jobs._

Jack, Holly, and Zoey were all relieved and crushed to hear this. Relieved that he was alive, crushed that Mal was in charge and in an asylum. The next day, they went to the asylum where he was being held. They were allowed to see him in person, but Jack and Holly couldn't bring themselves to face him, it was too painful to see their son like this.

Zoey's voice had brought him back before, so she asked to see him just once, to see if she could reach him. They brought her to a room with only a table and two chairs. She sat down in one, and Mal was brought in minutes later. He brought in a wheelchair, wearing a straightjacket. Every part of him was strapped down. He was wearing a clear facemask in case he tried to bite anyone. He grinned at her from behind the mask.

"Mike, it's me, Zoey," she said, barely above a whisper.

"Sorry, what was that? You'll want to talk louder if you want your dearly beloved to hear."

"Mike, can you hear me?" she said louder.

"Well of course I can, your voice is hard to ignore."

"Mike, come back to me!" she screamed. "I love you, you have to fight him! Fight Mal with all you've got, you can do it! Come back to me, please!"

"Did you get all that, Mike? Yeah, I got it, thanks Mal, you're a real pal. What are best friends for?"

It didn't work, either Mike couldn't hear her or Mal was too strong. Zoey got up and left, and they didn't try again. They were allowed to watch tapes of his therapy sessions, and they watched each one.

Mal was kept in a straightjacket and facemask during all his sessions. His hair was long and shaggy, and he was down to just skin and bone. When his parents saw him, all they could see was the little boy they'd taken in all those years ago. He'd looked just like this. Looking at Mal, they saw what the doctors they'd spoken to all those years ago were talking about. His eyes were cold and dead, it was hard to believe those were Mike's eyes.

At the beginning of each session, he would wink at the camera, and sometimes he would talk to it directly to say something hurtful to Zoey and Mike's parents. His voice was always low and calm, he never raised it and he was always polite. But it would sometimes take on a maniacal edge or even become almost a growl. He often smiled, like there was no better place in the world than here. His doctor was Dr. Norris, and he made a valiant attempt to treat him.

"Did any of the cops die trying to disarm my bombs?" he asked in their first session.

"No, though some were injured while disarming them. One was bitten by a tiger at the zoo while he was trying to disarm the one in its pen."

"Aw, and I worked so hard on them. I had one hooked up to electrical wires, and another in the river under the bridge. My duds didn't cause even one untimely demise, oh well, there's always next time. They won't all be duds next time," he said ominously.

"Mal, why don't we begin by talking about the way you used to be. Did you ever try to protect Mike when he was a child?"

"Oh yeah, all the time."

"What were you like, back then?"

"I was a blank slate, doc. Like an empty sheet of paper, there was nothing to me. I made myself this way."

"Tell me why we're here."

"You're coming to me looking for the answers to life? Wow, are you barking up the wrong tree."

"No, I mean, why you are here in this asylum?"

"They weren't amused by my prank."

"Why do you think you had to be locked away here?"

"I was naughty."

"You killed several people and burned down a building, as well as millions of dollars. You also endangered the lives of several police officers. You might not comprehend why that's wrong-"

"Now you're insulting my intelligence? I know full well that it was wrong, that's why I did it, sunshine."

"You're not well, Mal."

"What are you going to do, lock me away in the asylum? I'm already here!"

"What I am going to try to do is explore what's going on in your mind and understand why you do the things you do."

"Bad idea, doc, I have a strange effect on people. I'd worry more about your mental health in these sessions, than mine."

"We're going to make progress, no matter how long it takes."

"Progress in making me not so much of a loony? Or progress in bringing Mike back to the real world?"

The doctor smirked. "We'll see where we get, won't we?"

In his sessions, he would talk like he was going to reveal some big secret about himself, but then start talking about something else and ruin all their progress.

"What caused you to want to harm Mike?" Dr. Norris asked in one of their sessions.

"I was created as a blank slate, I had nothing to ground me, I had no idea what I was supposed to be," said Mal. His straightjacket was chained to the wall, giving him about three feet of room to walk around. He was bored, and he turned around in circles as he talked. "I absorbed everything around me, which was unspeakable amounts of torture. I took in the torment and then started dishing it back out tenfold."

"And that's why you took control on the show, to cause more torment. Is that the same reason you took over this time?"

"I took back control because I felt like it. Does there need to be a reason?"

"I suppose not, but it would make more sense. Was it triggered by something? Perhaps it was something from your past."

"Maybe you're right, doc, maybe something did trigger it. Maybe it was Jake," he said with a laugh.

"Who's Jake?

"I used to like popcorn, but I don't anymore." He stopped spinning and sat down on the padded floor with his legs crossed. He looked at the wall and cocked his head to the side. "Why do you think that is?"

"Mal, who is Jake?" Dr. Norris demanded.

"The bells are really loud today," he whispered.

The doctor couldn't get Mal to elaborate any further on the topic. He didn't talk much after that, anything he did say was irrelevant and pointless. It was very frustrating for him, to come so close to getting an answer and then having it ripped out of his hands.

Six more months of therapy passed with no success. Mike's twenty-second birthday passed, but with all the stress and grief they nearly forgot about it. Mal didn't, though. He sang a little birthday song to himself on the day, though he added morbid lyrics to it.

Jack, Holly, and Zoey all wanted to stop watching the tapes, but they couldn't bring themselves to. It was their only connection to Mike, and if he made a breakthrough, they needed to see it happen.

One day, they were told that Mal was too dangerous and that, since he was a unique case, they needed to take different measures to contain him. They were going to lobotomize him, so that he would no longer be a threat to others or to himself. Jack and Holly tried to fight this, of course, but Mike was now twenty-two and a ward of the country, so they couldn't stop it. They saw the tape that showed why they had reached this decision.

Mal's doctor was an exceptionally perceptive man. He often made observations about his patients that helped them face truths they had tried to hide from and help them work through it. He had noticed some things about Mal in their sessions, and that day he decided to talk about them.

"Good morning, doc," said Mal as he came in. He was sitting in a crouch with his head hanging down, and he looked up and met him with a disturbing grin.

"Good morning, Mal. It's good to see you being so cheery this morning."

"You know me, all sparkles and rainbows. But I do wish I had something to do. Would you mind bringing me some board games? I'll settle for a newspaper crossword."

"I'm sorry, Mal, but we're not there yet."

"You think I could kill someone with a crossword puzzle? You give me way too much credit, doc. But I don't blame you, I know I'm hopeless." Mal looked away sadly.

"You're not hopeless, just lost and confused. With a lot of hard work and dedication, someday you may be able to walk out of here a free man."

"I bet you say that to all your whackadoos."

"No, I mean it. If and when the day ever comes, I'll sign the release form myself. But you have to earn it."

"You make it sound like a merit badge. I didn't know I was a boy scout."

"Mal, in our time together, I've-"

"Don't get any ideas, doc. I'm in a straightjacket, I can't really defend myself if you start making moves on me."

Dr. Norris continued on like he had said nothing, though Mal could detect just the slightest hint of irritation. "I've been observing your behavior. You keep your hair brushed down in your face, it's a mask. You lie very often, both for enjoyment and as a weapon. You're keeping secrets, you're hiding things."

"All right, I confess. It was me, in the billiard room with the candlestick. Scouts honor."

"You've told me you started out blank, but I don't believe that's true, you're too highly developed for that. You were able to stay under police radar for two years, but you couldn't hide any longer than that, a mind like yours needs an audience. You're arrogant but patient, and you're calculating, though you can be impulsive at times. In your eyes, there's little point in committing crimes if no one knows it was you.

"You talk of protecting Mike, why did you feel the need to protect him, and why did you stop? Is the person you spoke of, Jake, connected to who you used to be? The question is, who are you really, Mal? And why do you try so hard to keep it secret? I'm going to find out the truth about you and bring it into the light, remembering will be good for you, it'll be good for you to face who you really are."

Mal was genuinely surprised at his observation. He cocked his head to the side and said, "Remembering is dangerous. The past is never a good place to be, full of worries and woes. The memory is a fickle, treacherous thing. One moment, you're at an amusement park with your friends and family, riding the roller coasters, seeing the sights, reliving your childhood days and full to bursting with sentiment. But then… it's all gone, and you're suddenly somewhere you never should have been, somewhere you never wanted to go. It's dark and cold, filled with shadows that turn into evil beasts when you turn your back. You're surrounded by everything you wished to forget. Memories are awful, vile things, but we can't live without them, can we? They make us who we are, we can't be free of them, can we? But why not? No one needs their sanity, we're not required to stay of sound mind our whole lives! So when you get tired of reliving the past, madness is the best answer. It's the emergency escape, you can just step outside and close the door on all the terrible things that happened. That's what Mike did. He took those dreadful memories and sealed them in boxes and locked them with keys, and he made other people to give those precious boxes to for safekeeping, to lock them away forever. They all lost their keys, but I still have mine. I really wish you hadn't said all that, doc. We were becoming such good friends…"

Mal was still an impressive escape artist, and he escaped his straightjacket and pounced on his doctor. He had no weapons, and the guards would come in to stop him any second now, so he had to act fast, he couldn't prolong it like he wanted to. He snapped his neck and then attacked the guards closing in on him. He wasn't able to kill any of them, but he did get in a few good hits and scratches.

Jack and Holly couldn't bear it, they couldn't even tell Mike goodbye. They had to resign themselves to the fact that this terrible, barbaric option was the only one they had left that could stop Mal. They considered going in to see him, but what would be the point? Mal wasn't their son, they'd never see their son again.

The night she heard the news, Zoey was in her room, trying to come to terms with what was happening. Her room was a complete wreck; every article of clothing was strewn on the floor, and most of her CDs lay on the ground, broken. She had broken nearly everything she owned in her rage, rage at Mal, and rage at the doctors for what they were going to do. Now all she could do was cry. The lobotomy might free Mike from Mal, but it would destroy everything about the man she loved, leaving only an empty shell. They might as well kill him, and her dreams would die right along with him. No, she couldn't let that happen. She had to do something, she had to save him. But what could she do?

Her cellphone rang, and she had to resist the urge to throw it out the window. She checked the caller ID, it was Cameron.

"Cameron, I'm sorry, but this really isn't a good time-"

"I've been doing a lot of research, and I found something that I think can help Mike. We can save him, Zoey."

They spent the rest of the night working out a plan of getting Mal out of the asylum before they could do the lobotomy.

Three nights later, Mal was lying on his back in his padded cell, back in his straightjacket. He was still chained to the wall, and he was rattling the chain with his foot and whistling.

The lobotomy was scheduled to happen the following morning. He hadn't made up his mind yet whether he would let it happen or if he would fight back and escape. Both options had their pros and cons, both would hurt Mike's loved ones terribly. He had until morning to decide, he'd make up his mind by then.

He heard a loud commotion outside his door, and then the door clicked open. "Are we doing the lobotomy ahead of schedule? You guys are so prompt, I'll be sure to recommend you to my friends."

"Guess again, love."

He knew that voice, though it had changed with time. "Little Violet Rainey, come to visit me at last. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me." He smiled as he heard her footsteps.

"Hello, Mal," she said in her English accent as she shut the door behind her. She turned on the light overhead, and he saw how much she had changed. She had grown taller, but she still had that white blonde ponytail. Her lips were painted with blood red lipstick, her only other makeup was mascara, and she was dressed all in black. Her emerald green eyes showed no innocence now. Her expression was hard, she was no longer the little girl that had slept under the porch with him. But in a way, she still was that little girl, and she would never be able to change that. "I never forget a promise, and I promised you that I would kill you if I ever saw you again."

"But Violet, I thought we were friends," he said, grinning. Seeing her again and knowing why she was here had him excited.

"An eye for an eye, old friend."

"You'd better hurry up if you're going to, I'm going to be a drooling mess tomorrow and I doubt I'd even notice if anyone tried to kill me. The clock's ticking."

"I'm in no rush. So, when did you take the name Mal?"

"Right after our partnership ended, short for The Malevolent One. I know it's a bit over the top, but what do expect from me?"

"It's so strange to think that all that time I spent with you, I never knew what you really are, an alternate personality. To think that the only friend I ever had didn't even have a body of his own, he had to steal one."

"I didn't know either, I didn't find out for another two years, it really built up the suspense."

"Did you think you were the rightful owner of the body?"

"Who cares about that? It doesn't matter who the original owner was, all that matters is who has the power."

"What did you think you were?"

"I had no idea. I didn't care all that much."

"What were you up to those past two years? Were you really working for the mob?"

"No. I found ways of entertaining myself, I stayed busy, but I kept my crime spree low-key so I could continue it longer. I won't bore you with the details of my time, but I did take one job for the mob, but only because I wanted to burn them and their money. Unfortunately for them, I became tired of working in the shadows, and so I decided to get the world's attention."

"You certainly got mine."

"I can only keep up a low profile for so long without losing my mind. But enough about me, what about you? I've seen you on the news, notorious jewel thief, I'm a big fan of your work. I knew I'd have a good influence on you."

"That's all they know, I also dabble in bounty hunting and espionage."

"You do me proud."

"I don't really do much arson anymore though, for obvious reasons. I do miss it, if I'm being honest."

"I know the feeling, I haven't burned anything since they put me in here."

"I cheer myself up with my jewels. I've got them all hidden in one of my hideouts, I won't burden you with any information."

"It must be so difficult for your boyfriend to get you gifts. 'Baby, will you marry me?' 'Are you kidding me? A diamond ring? I already have fifteen!'"

"Actually, I've never dated anyone seriously. I've just never met anyone with that spark I'm looking for. It's my curse to not be satisfied with anyone who lacks it. I've always hated you, and the hate became an obsession. I'm not even sure what I'll do after I kill you, I've been thinking about it for so long that it's part of who I am now. You're the only one who ever had it, that's all you are, really. You're nothing more than a spark to set the world ablaze. But what I'm wondering is, how you became that spark. Were you made that way, or did something happen to make you this way?"

"If we're getting into philosophy, we should probably tackle the bigger problems first. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? What really made the dinosaurs go extinct? Why did I put on two different colored socks this morning? Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near? If we can't even answer those questions, we have no right asking questions about our own existence."

"You know, we could have made such a great partnership. Together, we could have taken over the world, or destroyed it. But one of us would have killed the other after the second day."

"But what a ride it would be for those two days," he said with a manic grin. "So, are you really going to kill me by burning me alive? Burning isn't always an effective murder method, you would know."

"It is if you know what you're doing. Besides, you're kind of tied up at the moment."

Mal stretched out his arms, showing that he wasn't restrained.

"That's what I thought. I've been looking for you for years, who would have guessed you would do my job for me. I would have found you sooner if I'd seen Total Drama, but I don't watch television."

"I got what I wanted in the end, I blew up the island and made it sink."

"Sinking an entire island? That's creative, and ambitious, even by your standards. I really am doing the world a favor here."

"True, but I hope you weren't expecting me to go down without a fight."

He jumped to his feet and lunged at her, she was just within his grasp. He wrapped one of the sleeves of his straightjacket around her neck and pulled. She tried to pull it off her throat, but he kept pulling harder. As her skin started to turn blue, she reached into her pocket and took out a small blade and slit the skin of his neck under his chin. He knocked it out of her hand before she could do any more damage than that, but that gave her a chance to escape his hold. As she gasped for air, she kneed him in the stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs and making him double over.

She pulled off his straightjacket and unzipped the top part of his jumpsuit, revealing his ribs sticking through the skin and his abs. She shoved him roughly against the wall, and they both tried to catch their breath. The room was padded, there was only one hard surface in there: the metal door handle. Violet laced her fingers through his hair, yanked his head back, and slammed it into the handle. Mal actually saw stars.

They both threw punches and landed strong hits on each other. Violet had training in martial arts, and she used those skills in their fight. They both moved quickly, the pain didn't slow either one down. Mal pounced on her and knocked her onto the floor.

He pinned her hands down above her head and looked down at her with eyes that were dead but wild at the same time. He took the hairband out of her hair, setting her blonde locks free, and then he put his fingers around her throat and began to squeeze. Drops of blood dripped onto her from the cut in his neck.

Violet was stronger than she looked, and she flipped him over and straddled him. She took another knife from her pocket and held it to his throat, and he reached for her knife on the floor and held it to hers. They were both about to strike, but then the door burst open and Zoey came in. "All right Mal, we're busting out of… what the hell?"

Violet turned to look at her, but she kept the knife at the ready. Zoey was also dressed in black, they looked like partners.

"Who are you?"

"His partner in crime," Violet replied.

"And she's trying to kill me, so stop killing the moment, Zoey."

"Get away from him! I'm taking him with me!"

"I don't think you want to be making any deals with the devil, honey," said Violet. "You'll only get burned, literally. Now if you'll excuse us, I'll get back to putting this wretched soul out of his misery."

"I don't think so!" Zoey punched her in the eye and she stumbled back, but Violet scowled at her and took out a needle and stuck it in her neck. She lasted for two seconds, and then dropped.

"Aw, come on, it was just getting good," said Mal. He eyed the needle. "You could have tranquilized me at any time."

"And what would be the fun in that?" she asked. She reached into her pocket, which seemed to have an endless supply of weapons. She took out a small bottle of lighter fluid and a lighter. "So, right then, who was she?"

"Mike's crush."

"She's willing to fight for him even though there's no hope of Mike returning?" she asked as she looked at her.

"I told Mike she's a few plums short of a fruit pie."

"She must really love him," she said quietly.

"That's one word for it. Are you going to kill me or not? Hey, I've got an idea." He snatched the lighter fluid out of her hand and doused himself and her in it, and then poured the rest on Zoey's unconscious form on the floor. "One spark, one big bang, we all go out together, and we might even take the asylum with us! You get your revenge, and I get to ride out on the flames of glory, we both win and lose! I love happy endings!"

He held out the lighter for her to take, grinning madly. She took it and struck a flame, and looked at it for a moment. She stared at the little flame intently, as though she might find all the answers in it. She seemed to be seriously considering Mal's proposition. "I've been dreaming about it for years, but… I can't."

"Oh all right, you big baby," said Mal as the fluid dripped from his hair. "You can burn up Zoey and me and save yourself, but it won't be as much fun."

"That guy you share a brain with, Mike? I won't make him pay for your crimes."

"Now you decide to grow a conscience?"

"I've always had one, I just have different morals than the rest of the world. I guess they're not really morals, then. You lied to me."

"I also tried to roast you like a chicken, but it's all water under the bridge."

"When we watched that movie when we were young, you said there's no such thing as monsters, but I was sitting right next to one. I was just a child and I trusted you, and you made me into what I am today. Have you ever been a child, or were you always a monster?"

"That's the thing about monsters, everyone wants to know whether they're born or molded into it. The eternal debate, genetics or circumstances? Well, here's the only logical answer: Who the hell cares? Because no matter what anyone does, no matter how hard society tries to rid itself of them, it can never be free. When one monster dies, another takes its place, sometimes immediately, sometimes not until years later. Mike's monster didn't die, it just found a new home.

"There are two kinds of children in the world, those who check under their beds before going to sleep and those who don't. I'll bet you used to check under your bed at night for monsters, didn't you?" She nodded slightly. "You were looking for the monsters in your imagination, you hadn't yet learned about real monsters. Mike never checked under his bed, because he faced monsters every day. Imaginary monsters only come out in the dark, but he wasn't afraid of the dark, because he knew that real monsters can show themselves in the light. He knew they can be kind and gentle, they wear benevolent masks that are pleasant to look at, and many never see past it. Only a few are shown what lies behind the mask, and children who have are the ones that know true fear. The children who look under their beds are the lucky ones, they don't know what real fear is. But you do now, you never again checked under your bed for monsters after you met me. You met a real monster and he taught you true fear, but you're letting him go free. I'm shocked, Violet, I never took you for one of the weak ones."

"We all have our weaknesses, Mal," said Violet as she tucked the lighter back into her pocket, out of Mal's reach. "Mine is that I won't murder an innocent man, and yours is that you're not a real person."

"Now that's hitting below the belt."

"If you were the original and Mike was just an alternate personality, I'd kill you in a heartbeat. But you're not real, you're just the curse this man must live with, you're a disease that only death can cure. And since you're not real, it means your time in control is limited. I think it's about to reach its end."

"You said you were going to kill me, you were going to burn me alive. You got me all excited for nothing, you big tease. Did you come all this way just to rain on my parade?"

"I don't think it really counts as revenge anyway if you enjoy it too much," she said with a smirk.

"I can beg for mercy, if you want," he said with a devious grin.

"Are you really so eager to die?"

"Not eager, just curious. I know what living is like, and most of the time it's boring. But death… I don't know what to expect on the other side."

Violet opened the door, and Mal asked, "By the way, how did you get past the guards and doctors?"

"It's pretty hard to put up a fight after you've been hit with knockout gas. The girl can thank me for making her job easier."

"So that's it? You're just going to go home and snuggle with your diamonds?"

"I've said everything I wanted to say, and if I'm not going to kill you then there's no reason for me to hang around, is there? She'll be waking up soon, that dosage only works for about five minutes, and I don't want to be a third wheel. Tell Mike I said hi once he takes back control. Goodbye, Mal."

"Goodbye, girl on fire," he said with a laugh.

Zoey woke up with no memory of Violet. Mal put up no resistance when she handcuffed him and smuggled him out. He was curious to see what desperate plan she had in store for him.

They escaped the asylum and went to a rundown motel, where Zoey spoke with him and then administered a drug Cameron got his hands on for her, and against all odds, it worked. Mal hadn't actually expected her to succeed in bringing Mike back, but in retribution, he gave him back all the memories he had stolen from him, hoping the weight of them would break his mind in two. After all these years, he finally opened the box.

* * *

><p><em>~Takes place after the events of We Were His Protectors~<em>

Jack and Holly were both at home. Neither one went to work, they were too sick with grief for that. They hadn't bothered to get out of bed that morning, they were still in their pajamas, Jack didn't even have his glasses on.

Holly was resting her head on Jack's shoulder, and they held each other's hands like it was their last tether to sanity. Satchimo was downstairs, sitting on the seat of the couch where Mike normally sat. He hadn't seen his master in three years.

They had both prayed all night and cried all their tears, now all there was left to do was wait. Mal's lobotomy was today. At least after the operation they would be allowed to take him home, or whatever was left of him, anyway. They weren't expecting any miracles, all they were hoping for at this point was that as much of Mike's mind would be saved as possible. It was all they had left.

"I keep thinking about the last time we saw Mike," said Holly, barely above a whisper. "We were at the table, but he was too eager to see Zoey to stop for breakfast, he was ready to leave right when he got up. He was so happy and cheerful. I didn't hug him or tell him I loved him, if only I had known. What I wouldn't give to hold him one last time and tell him how much I love him."

"He knew you loved him, you didn't have to prove it to him," said Jack as he held her tighter.

"We tried so hard, Mike tried so hard, and for what?" They had put so much time, energy, and love into him, just to have him yanked away. "All the progress we made was for nothing, he's gone and we can't ever get him back. I hate to say it, but it just feels like it was all pointless."

"It wasn't pointless. Mike made friends, and he fell in love. The last time he was in control, he was surrounded by the people who love him. It wasn't for nothing, even though it feels that way."

The phone rang on the nightstand, and Jack considered ignoring it, but it was probably the asylum, calling to let them know they were ready for them to pick up Mike. He answered it and said, "Are you ready for us to come for Mike?"

"Jack, it's Zoey. The operation has been cancelled."

"Zoey? What do you mean, cancelled?"

"Hey Dad, it's me."

Jack dropped the phone and it hit the floor. "Jack, what is it?" Holly asked. "Did something go wrong with the operation? Is Mike okay?"

It took Jack several seconds to pick up the phone. "Is it really you?"

"Yeah, it's me. I'm back, and I'm coming home." This was the first time in three years that he was hearing his voice, it was like talking to a ghost.

"But how?" He couldn't process this, it was too much.

"Cam and Zoey got me out and helped me get my brain back. I'll explain later, I'm on my way there now."

"I'm bringing your boy home!" said Zoey.

"Okay." He was in too much shock to say anything else.

He hung up the phone and turned back to Holly, who said, "What's going on?"

"Mike's coming home," said Jack.

"They did the lobotomy?"

"No, he's fine. He's back."

"What?! Where is he? How did it happen?"

"He and Zoey are coming over now."

"Are you serious? We need to get ready, we need to shower and get dressed! And the house is a wreck, I don't want him to come home after three years to a hovel!"

"I'm sure he won't care what the house looks like," said Jack, finally starting to come out of his trance. She didn't pay him any attention. She ran to the bathroom and he heard water running. He went downstairs and tried to clean the house as much as he could in the limited amount of time they had. They normally kept it clean, but lately there wasn't any point. Now there was.

Holly's shower only lasted five minutes, and then Jack took his turn while she worked on her hair and put on makeup. They were rushing around and they were in a frenzy, but they weren't actually happy or excited. They were still in disbelief, this had to be a dream, they wouldn't believe otherwise until they saw him for themselves.

They heard the doorbell ring. "I'm not ready!" said Holly.

"You really think he cares what you look like? Besides, you look lovely, now come on!"

They went down the stairs to the door. Neither one was prepared for what they would find when they opened it. Jack slowly opened the door, and there was Mike and Zoey, smiling. Mike was still in his white jumpsuit.

Neither of them moved or spoke for a minute, they were in too much shock. But then Holly threw herself at him and hugged him around his shoulders.

"I missed you so much." She brushed the hair out of his face. "You'd think Mal could find time for a haircut every now and again. I'll have to do something about this wild hair of yours. And does he even eat? I can count your ribs just by hugging you. And you look so tired, you've got those shadows under your eyes again. I need to fatten you up a little before the wind blows you away. I've missed doting on you, I have a lot of catching up to do." She hesitated and her lip quivered. "You know I love you, right?" she said as she started crying.

"Of course I do, I love you, too." This was so strange to him, to him only a day had passed. But the changes were undeniable; Zoey's hair had grown out a little and it was no longer dyed bright red, it was her mother's light red shade. His mother's hair was longer too, and his father's hair was beginning to turn gray on the edges. Not to mention the changes in himself. He caught sight of himself in the mirror, and he almost didn't recognize himself. He was exhausted, he was starving, and his hair was down to his shoulders.

She let go of him, but then hugged him again. "I'm sorry, I just can't let you go, not yet. Let's move to the couch, you don't want to stand here all day."

They moved to sit on the couch, and his mother held onto him and wouldn't let go for a very long time, not that he minded. She cried off and on on his shoulder, she was trying not to, but it was just too much for her.

Jack waited until she finally released him to hug him, as well. He didn't hug him as long as she did, but he held onto him tightly, so happy and relieved to finally have his son back.

"I thought I'd never see you again," he said, his voice hoarse from holding back tears. "I thought you were never coming home. Were you aware of what was going on, like the last time Mal took control?"

"No, I wasn't. It wasn't at all like last time, I wasn't aware of anything. I've been asleep all this time, to me it's only been a day since I left Zoey's house." He'd been a prisoner for three years and he hadn't even known it. All this was harder on his parents and Zoey than it was on him, but he was emotional, too. He was just glad to be home again. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry," said Jack as he hugged him tighter. "What's the last thing you remember? Did anything seem to trigger Mal?"

"I don't think so. I kissed Zoey goodnight and I was driving… I can't remember anything past that. I wasn't even fighting Mal this time, because I wasn't there at all. I'm sorry I put you all through this."

"Well, you're back now, that's what matters," said Holly.

"I've missed a lot, haven't I? I bet a lot has changed, I have a lot of catching up to do."

"You really do," said Jack.

"We should call Todd and Wendy, they've been worried sick, about you," said Holly.

"Okay, but first, do you think you could give me a haircut, Mom?" asked Mike.

"I'd love to."

Holly took out her scissors, but before she started cutting she and Zoey had some fun just playing with his hair.

"It's longer than mine," Zoey giggled.

"I could tease it and give you and afro, how does that sound?" asked Holly.

"Do whatever you want, I just don't want to be Rapunzel anymore."

Holly cut it until it was at the length it had been before, and it went back to standing up in spikes. Once it was done, he went upstairs to shower and change. Before he went back downstairs, he took a minute to sit on the bed. The digital clock on his bedside table showed the date three years later than it felt to him. On the way here, the radio had announced new movies premiering, including Avengers 2, the movie he had wanted to see but had been years away, among others. The world had moved on without him, so much had happened that he hadn't been around to see. Did England still have a queen? Had any of his friends gotten married or had kids? World War 3 could have started and he would have no idea. These last three years, plus the two from his childhood, added up to five years total. Five years of his life, gone forever, stolen by Mal. Five years wasn't much, he had the rest of his life ahead of him, but still, five whole years that he could never get back. Three years he could have spent with Zoey and his friends. But moping about it wouldn't give him those years back, so there was no sense in dwelling on it.

Besides, he had worse things going on. In his confrontation with Mal, Mal gave him the memories he took all those years ago, and it felt like the weight of them was crushing him. He hadn't told Zoey or his parents yet, he didn't want to spoil their reunion, so he would wait until later to tell them. He cringed at the thought of them; there were so many and they were so terrible. Images flashed before his eyes of things so horrible they made his nightmares look pleasant by comparison. A tall man stood over him, looking down at him with a cruel smirk. Any memory with him involved pain in some form. He saw a woman with hysterical eyes standing by him, and with the image of her came pangs of hunger, along with cold and darkness. These people were his parents, he now knew where he came from. The fact that they were dead and could hurt no one else was a small comfort, it did nothing to erase the scars they left.

"I was a big brother once," he whispered to himself. He'd always wanted siblings, older or younger, he didn't care. He wasn't always an only child, there was a time when he'd had a little brother and a baby sister, but he'd forgotten them. The worst of these memories he now had were of the last time he saw them. As hard as he tried not to think about them, they kept coming to the forefront of his mind.

"Is she gonna get better, Mike?" Jake asked in one of his new memories. He was watching Mike rock their sister in his arms. They were sitting on the couch, both were very worried about their sister. Since that morning, she'd been very pale and wouldn't eat anything. She was barely breathing. Mike had tried everything he could think of, but nothing was working.

"Me and you have been sick before, she'll get better, she has to."

But she didn't get better. Their mother took her away and he never saw her again. Though Mike was smart for his age, he didn't understand death yet. Jake understood it even less than he did.

"When's Lizzie coming back?" he asked one night, after they had gone to bed. Since her death, Jake didn't even bother going to his own bed anymore, he slept with Mike. They both liked it better that way.

"Mommy says she's not coming back. I don't know why."

"Is she living somewhere else?"

Mike didn't think that was it, but he didn't have a better answer. "That's probably it."

After that, Jake was all Mike had left, but just a few short months later, he was taken, as well. Mike was in his room drawing when his mother called for him.

"Mike! Come in here right now!"

He dropped his crayons and walked to the bathroom, where she was calling from. He opened the door and saw his mother cradling Jake's blue, limp form. Mike didn't realize at once what had happened.

"What's going on? Is Jake okay? He doesn't look right."

"Jakey's dead, Mike. He drowned by accident, I did everything I could."

"No, no it can't be!" Mike ran over and shook Jake by his shoulders. "Jake, wake up! It's me, Mike! Please, you have to wake up!"

Jake's head lolled to the side, he didn't move. Mike was still in shock, he couldn't believe this, he wouldn't believe it. "I told you he's dead, Mike."

"We have to take him to a hospital, they can help him!" said Mike desperately.

"It's too late, he's gone. But it's okay." She reached out and cupped Mike's cheek. "He's safe now."

By this point, Mike understood death well enough to know what it meant for Jake. "What are we going to do?"

"You're going to go outside and bury him."

"I can't do that!"

"You're going to, or you'll be in huge trouble. Now do what you're told!" she yelled at him.

He couldn't argue, things only got worse if he argued, he might be next. Delicately, he took Jake in his arms and carried him out of the bathroom. He took him to their room and laid him on the bed. He was naked from the bath, so he put clothes on him. He wrapped him in the blanket on his bed and carried him outside, all the while hoping that a miracle would happen and Jake would wake up, but he didn't.

It was too much for Mike to do it, to bury his little brother and best friend, but somehow he made it through. He put him under the swimming pool so he wouldn't forget where he was. He buried him with the baseball they always played with. He didn't go back inside, even though it was freezing that night. He laid down by his grave and wept until he fell asleep. After that night, he was never the same again. Looking back on the memory, it was no wonder his psyche had broken into pieces.

He stayed in his room for a little while longer, until he was sure he could face everyone downstairs without breaking down. He was able to smile like nothing had happened.

His grandparents arrived a little while later. Todd's health had declined over the last year, he'd been in and out of the hospital several times. He had been so afraid that he would die before they found Mike, and he would never know what became of him, or if he was okay. Todd put his arms around him in a hug. It was completely unexpected, he had never hugged him before.

"These last three years have been hell on earth without you, boy. Don't be taking off like that again."

"I won't."

Wendy surprised them all by hugging Zoey. Not only did she hug Zoey before she hugged Mike, but they all knew how much she disapproved of her.

"I was wrong about you," she said as she smiled at her. "I take it all back, you are good enough for my sweet Mike. You brought him back to me, you stayed loyal to him even though you had every reason in the world to give up, there will never be another girl like you. I'm sorry I misjudged you, I'd like to start over as friends. You two, Holly. Without the two of you, Mike wouldn't be here today." She pulled Holly in their hug.

"Thanks, Wendy," said Zoey, surprised but glad to have finally earned her favor.

"You really don't want to be enemies anymore, Wendy?" asked Holly. "Won't that bore you?"

"Oh, we'll still be enemies, but now we'll be friends, too. Now come here, Mike." She let go of the two women and grabbed Mike and squeezed him. "You scared me to death, I thought I'd lost you. If anyone ever tries to take you from me again, I'll make them sorry they did. I'm not joking, no one is taking you from me again, not even Mal."

"Thanks Nana, I know no one would ever be dumb enough to mess with you," said Mike, smiling.

"I knitted you three sweaters while you were gone, I wasn't going to let your disappearance stop tradition. I brought one of them with me today, try it on." She handed him a red sweater, it was the same shade of red as Zoey's hair. He didn't hesitate in putting it on. It was autumn, and just barely cold enough for a sweater.

His grandparents stayed for the rest of the day, and Mike invited Cameron over, it just wouldn't feel right without him. They spent the rest of the day together for the first time since Mike disappeared.

* * *

><p>Mike slept through the entire next day, and the day after that he slept until noon. He was in such a deep sleep that he wasn't even talking, though he did mumble a little. He didn't have nightmares, though they would return soon enough. His parents let him sleep because they knew he hadn't gotten any since Mal took over, but every now and again they would peep open the door to check on him, assuring themselves that he was still there. His head was resting on Satchimo's back, and they both looked so content.<p>

When he did wake up, he told them about the memories Mal had given him. Zoey wasn't there, Mike needed time alone with his mother and father. She let them have this day to themselves, to heal.

They were shocked and horrified at what he told them. He asked them if they were okay if he left out the details, and they let him. He told them who his biological parents were, and they realized that they had known them when they were younger. Holly was appalled when she realized that his father was the same man she had once dated to make Jack jealous. She imagined how differently things would be if she had married him, instead of Jack. It was horrifying.

He described the abuse and what had happened to the little siblings he'd never known he once had. Hearing all this angered them and saddened them at the same time. They wanted to do something about it, get revenge for their son, but they couldn't, they were already dead and gone. Mal had seen to that. It was the one and only time they agreed with Mal's actions.

After he finished telling them about his past, none of them felt like doing much of anything. They put on a movie, but none of them paid it much attention. Holly held onto Mike on the couch, and Jack put his arm around both of them. Satchimo jumped up in his lap, and Mike rubbed behind his ears. There was very little talk, they were just savoring the feeling of being together again after so much time apart.

The next day, Trent and Leshawna came to see him, and many of his other friends called to tell him how happy they were that he had finally come back. That night, Zoey came over, and she asked if they could go up to his room and they sat on his bed.

"When I was a little girl, I ran away and hid in the forest by my grandparent's house. It wasn't really running away though, I was going to come back, I just liked going out there to play. On that night, I fell asleep and dreamed that a strange boy came to play with me. I didn't have any siblings or friends to play with and I was lonely, but the boy became my one and only friend.

"My diary was destroyed, but there were some pages that I knew by heart because I reread them so much, and I'm going to pretend I'm reading it out of my diary. Dear diary, I made the most wonderful friend last night. He was funny looking, he had eyes like a raccoon, and he had on weird white pajamas. He looked so tired, and he had the saddest eyes I've ever seen. They looked old, strange seeing such old eyes in a kid. But he played with me, I showed him how to catch fireflies and we made wishes on them. He promised me he would come back, but he didn't. I must have dreamed him, like Mama and Daddy said I did. I was hoping they were wrong, but I guess not. I miss him, maybe I'll dream of him again tonight."

Zoey stopped and said, "Every night I tried to dream of him, most nights I didn't succeed, but sometimes I did. He became my imaginary friend, in a way. I wrote page after page of who I believed he was and where he came from. Sometimes I imagined him as a prince, sometimes I imagined him as a traveler from another world. Have you read _The Little Prince?_ I imagined he was like him. I knew he wasn't real, but I wanted him to be so badly. I didn't tell anyone else how much I longed to see him again and how often I thought of him, they would have thought I was losing my mind. When I became a teenager I sort of forgot about him, I stopped dreaming of him. But then he stopped being a dream, he came to me and for the longest time I didn't see him. I didn't recognize my own imaginary friend."

"So he wasn't a dream? Who was he?"

"When you took back control on the island, I realized that I knew you from when we were kids. I never said anything because I was afraid I was wrong, and if I was wrong then it would mean I spend too much time in my dreams. But when Mal was in the asylum, his eyes were lined with dark shadows. When I brought you back in that motel room, the way you looked at me with the shadows under your eyes. You were wearing white pajamas, though they weren't pajamas at all. It was then that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, and I couldn't stay silent any longer. I know you don't remember-"

"Actually Zoey, I do. In our fight, Mal gave back all the memories he stole from me when I was a kid. One day out of the two years Mal was in control when I was a kid, he let me out so that I could play with a girl he'd come across in the woods. He let me play with her because if I formed an attachment to her, it would hurt more when he killed her. He tried to kill her, but he was interrupted. I was a prisoner, I was trapped inside my own mind with no way of escape. I thought the whole thing was a dream, but I think part of me, a part I didn't listen to, knew it was real. I knew Mal was out there hurting people, but I couldn't stop him, I couldn't even see what he was doing. Worse than that, though, was what happened before that. I didn't have much when I was a kid, but what little I did have was stolen from me. I used to have a brother and a sister, Zoey." Tears ran down his cheeks. "I had siblings that I loved, but for all these years I forgot they ever existed."

"What happened to them?" asked Zoey, dreading the answer.

"They're both dead. That's why I'm like this, I couldn't handle what happened. On that night with you, there was no hope for me, I was wishing I'd never been born. But you gave me a little hope, a little happiness, when I was broken beyond repair. I had nothing, but being with you made me able to hope that maybe things wouldn't be terrible forever, that maybe one day, even if I couldn't be happy, I'd at least get my life back, and it would be better than before. You were my firefly girl, that was what I called you. I thought you were a dream, but you're not, you're right here with me and you never left me."

Zoey put her arms around him. "And I never will leave you."

A few days after he returned to himself, Mike went to see Dr. Teager. He hadn't seen him since his last appointment before Mal took over. Now that he had these memories back, he needed to work through them with his doctor. Even with his alters helping him bear the weight of it, it was still terrible and he couldn't get through it without talking about it. Zoey went with him, partly so she would know what he had been through, but mostly for emotional support.

"Now Mike, if at any time you need to stop, just say so and you don't have to say anymore," said his doctor. "We can break this up over several sessions to make it easier."

Mike nodded. "Thanks, but I think I'd like to just get it over with all at once. I don't want to think about it any more than I have to."

Zoey was holding his hand, and she gave it a gentle squeeze. She was allowed to speak, but she would stay quiet so that Mike and his doctor could work through this together.

He told the doctor what he remembered about his childhood. They weren't all clear, because childhood memories never are. There were still many memories missing, because there were a lot that were held by other personalities, Mal hadn't held them all. He didn't remember every single detail of the ones he did have, and he still had no idea of what Mal had done during the two years he was in control when he was a child. Talking about the abuse he had suffered was very difficult, but it wasn't as bad as when he got to his little siblings.

"I promised them I would protect them," said Mike, fighting back tears. "My father hurt me physically every time he came home, but once he realized that hurting Jake hurt me more than it hurt him, he targeted him more often. It would have been the same with Lizzie, if she had lived long enough. When he did it I would try to make him stop, but it only made things worse for both of us. I couldn't keep them safe, I feel like everything that happened to them was my fault."

"Mike, you can't blame yourself for what happened to them," said Dr. Teager. "You were five years old, that was far too much responsibility for a child. You shouldn't have had to take care of them like that, that was a job for an adult, not a little boy. You couldn't have prevented what happened, you did the best you could and you were a wonderful older brother to them."

Mike had to take several minutes to compose himself before he could continue. Zoey cried silently; hearing all this made her want to scream. She was so grateful that Mike had escaped and found loving parents that would do anything for him.

"I can remember back before I had this disorder, when my brain belonged to me only," he said when he was able to continue. "It feels like a dream, one that couldn't have ever been real. So many times police officers and social workers came to the house, and every time I had to lie and tell them everything was fine. I wanted to tell them what was going on so badly, but I was so afraid that my father would kill me if I did, so I stayed quiet. Things might not have turned out so bad if I had only spoken up, or run away. If I had just done something, Jake and Lizzie might still be alive now, and I wouldn't have this disorder. Everyone in town assumed that I was born crazy like my mother, or that I would lose my mind eventually. They were right."

"Looking back on the past and thinking of what should have been done differently is like looking into a mirror and seeing your heart's desire," said Dr. Teager. "It doesn't change anything, the past cannot be rewritten. Yes, you should have gone for help, but you did what anyone else would have done. At that age, you couldn't have defended yourself from a grown man, let alone anyone else. He promised repercussions if you told the truth, so of course you did what he said, it was all you could do. You did what you had to do to survive, you did what you thought was safest. It's normal to want to go back and change things, but don't stay in the past, because what happened can't be undone."

"After they both died, I was completely alone for a few days. Living in that house was bad enough, but by myself it was intolerable. I thought about running away, and I thought that even if I died on my own, it would be better than staying in that house, and I could be with my brother and sister again. But then one day my mother locked me in the broom closet again, and I was so lonely and scared that I couldn't take it anymore, it was worse than it had ever been and it was excruciating. I blinked, and when I opened my eyes I was suddenly back my bedroom. I had no idea of how it happened, but I wasn't complaining. I used to think that it was normal to just go away and disappear sometimes when things got too hard or too scary. I was glad I could disappear, it made everything so much easier. I thought… I thought everyone had people they would talk to that only they could hear, other kids had imaginary friends so I didn't think it was weird that mine talked to me. It never occurred to me that something was wrong. I didn't find out how abnormal that was until years later.

"And then my father came home again, he was yelling at me for something I didn't do. He didn't seem to care at all that Jake and Lizzie were dead, and it made me furious, for once I was angrier than I was scared. And then I blacked out again, and when I woke up, Mal spoke to me for the first time. I thought he was my guardian angel, sent to protect me and keep me company. He talked to me and we played games together, he made me laugh and he helped me not feel so sad. With him around, staying there wasn't so bad anymore. It got even better when the others joined him, it was harder to be sad when I was surrounded by what I thought were my imaginary friends. I stopped being lonely, I didn't try to befriend the other kids at school as much because they didn't understand me like Mal did. I believed my imaginary friends were all I needed, I was happy. But then it all went wrong, Mal snapped and burned the house down, murdering my parents. I don't know what made him snap, everything seemed to be fine, he turned on me and I have no idea why. A part of me feels guilty for it, as bad as they were I believed that they didn't deserve to die that way, but at the same time… I'm ashamed to say… I was glad."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of, after everything they put you through, I wouldn't expect you to feel any different," said Dr. Teager. "Mike, what would you say to your parents, if they were here now?"

Mike thought about it for a long while. "To my mother, I would ask her why she did it. I know she was insane and she can't be held completely at fault for her actions, but that doesn't make up for what she did. She killed them for no real reason, I'll never see them again because of her. Why didn't she kill me, too? I mean, I don't want to die, but why did she let me live? I didn't deserve to live any more than they did. It makes no sense, nothing she ever did made sense."

"What you're experiencing is survivor's guilt, it's completely normal in these situations, and takes time to get over."

"To my father, I want to ask him why, as well. I've done research on them both. He had the perfect life, why wasn't that good enough for him? Why couldn't he just leave us alone? No matter how many times he hurt me, he was never satisfied. But I'm not angry at him for that, I'm angry because he didn't care about any of us. He didn't care when Lizzie died, or when Jake died. They were his children, but he treated them like they were dirt he stepped in. After I developed MPD, he just thought it was funny, he treated it like a joke. He told me I would become crazy like my mother, and that I would never leave that house, I would always be at his feet, begging for mercy. I wish he was here right now so I could make him understand, so that I could make him care about the deaths of his children. But he would never care, he'd just laugh at me even more."

"Now that you've gotten this all off your chest, how do you feel?" asked Dr. Teager. He reached out and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Lighter. Not better, just like a weight has been lifted off my chest. I thought I wanted to remember my past, now I wish I could forget it again."

"Remembering will make you stronger, though right now it probably makes you feel weaker."

Mike looked down at his watch. "We've been talking for three hours, I was just supposed to have one. I'm sorry doctor, I didn't mean to take up so much of your time."

"It's all right Mike, I expected this session would take longer, so I purposefully left the rest of the day open so that you could have all the time you needed. I think we've talked long enough now, though. You should go and rest, this must have been very emotionally draining for you."

"Thanks, doctor." He and Zoey got up and left. They didn't go home, they instead went on a walk through the woods. Neither one spoke, they were both still reeling. The walk was good for them both; the air was a little chilly, but they stayed close enough that they didn't feel it. The sky was misty, it was a very gray day. It would likely rain later.

After a while of walking, they decided to stop. They sat down together under the branches of a willow tree. Zoey sat in Mike's lap and rested her head on his chest, and Mike put his arms around her and closed his eyes. There was nothing romantic about it, they just needed the closeness and the intimacy. It was times like these that Mike was the most grateful to have Zoey, he couldn't have made it through that without her. He gazed at the gray sky, feeling like he had a huge hole in his chest. It hut, but was numb at the same time. It felt like it would never go away.

There were so many things Zoey wanted to say, but she wasn't sure how to say them or if now was the right time, so she stayed silent. Today was a day for grieving, and there were no words to express it. Today they would mourn in silence, but tomorrow Zoey was determined to start Mike on the healing process, so that soon he could laugh and smile again.


	30. Epilogue Part 2: Home

"Where are you taking us?"

"Can we take off the blindfolds yet?"

Mike was leading Holly by the hand, and Zoey was leading Jack. They had a surprise waiting for them.

"Be patient Jack, we're nearly there."

"It's not Christmas, and it's no one's birthday, so I have no idea what this could be. Then again, I'm an old man in my forties, so I guess I could have forgotten a holiday. Wouldn't be the first time."

"No comment," said Holly, grinning.

"Cheap shot."

"Okay, we're here!" Mike announced. He took off Holly's blindfold, and Zoey took off Jack's. They both gasped in surprise.

"Where are we? It looks just like my grandmother's house," said Holly.

"Don't you recognize it, Mom? It's your dream house."

"What are we doing here?"

"I spent a lot of time thinking about what I would do with the million dollars after I won. There were a lot of things I thought of that I'd like to have, but I kept coming back to this. It's such a beautiful house, there aren't many people who deserve one like it, and I can think of no two people more deserving than you."

"Mike, you spent your million dollar prize on us?" said Jack incredulously.

"Sort of. You see, after the island sank, Chris claimed that Fang ate half the money."

"Whether that's true or not has yet to be proven," Zoey piped up. "He probably used the missing money to buy himself a new 'cottage.'"

"But I did get some of it, and Cameron split his million dollars last year and shared it with all of us. I used the money to buy this place. Zoey helped me fix it up and restore it to its former glory before I… before I disappeared."

"I was tempted to tell you about it, but it wouldn't have been right, this is Mike's gift to you and he needed to be here to give it," said Zoey as she put an arm around his waist. "We make a great team."

"It's our gift to you. I didn't even earn the million, I wasn't in control for most of the game, so it only makes sense to spend it on someone else. I know you had to sacrifice so much for me, including this house, and I so wanted to give something back."

"Mike, you didn't have to do that," said Holly. "We did it because we love you, not because we expected anything in return."

"That's exactly why I did it. You took care of me and made me into the person I am today. You took what could have been a hopeless case and gave me a chance to make something of myself. If it weren't for you, I never could have met and fallen in love with my dream girl. If it weren't for you, I might not even be here at all. This house is the least I can do."

"We can't accept this, it's too much," said Jack.

"Your name is already on the deed," said Mike. "Too late for tradebacks."

"Here's the key," said Zoey as she tossed it to Jack. "A lot of memories are going to be made in this house."

"No Mike, it should be yours," said Holly. "You're going to have kids of your own someday, they should grow up in a house like this."

"There's only one place I want to stay, and that's your old house. It might not be the biggest or the nicest, but it's where my new life began. I can't imagine being anywhere else."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Jack. "It sounds like you're getting ripped off big time."

"It's all I want."

"If we take this house, you'll keep our old one, okay?" said Jack.

"Jack, stop it, we can't! It would be wrong of us to accept."

"Mom," said Mike as he came over and took her hands in his and looked at her with a smile. "You've given me so much, now it's time to take a little for yourself. As happy as you'll be in this house, I'll be even happier knowing that I gave my parents something they always wanted. If you say no, you'll be denying me that happiness."

Holly threw her arms around his neck and her eyes glistened with tears. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much. My sweet little boy has grown into a man. When I look at you, I still see that little boy we took in all those years ago, but you've grown so much, come so far. You've gone above and beyond everyone's expectations, and you're not done yet. I wish I could always hold onto you like this and never let you go."

"I know. I love you too."

Jack and Zoey joined in on the hug, and then Holly took Jack's hand and said, "Let's go look inside!"

Mike and Zoey let them explore their new house by themselves and they walked back to his old one.

"We've made them so happy," said Zoey, smiling. "All that hard work was worth it to see their faces. Are you going to stay in the old house or stay with them in the new one?"

"For now, I'll stay with them in the new one, I don't want to live in an empty house. You know, not all the money went into buying that house. I had some left over."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Well, a few things came to mind, like a boat or a hot tub. But in the end, there was only one thing I wanted. I've got it here with me, and I need to see what you think of it."

His heart pounding, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He opened it, and Zoey gasped in surprise. It was a diamond ring.

"It was really hard to keep this a secret, not even my parents know yet." His hands were shaking as he held the box, he was so nervous but he was trying to hide it. "The only person who knows is Cam, he helped me pick out the ring. And Manitoba assured me that it's a hundred percent genuine."

Zoey could hardly breathe as Mike got down on one knee.

"Zoey, before I met you, I wasn't sure girls like you existed, you're straight out of a fairytale. You've helped me when I'm sick or not myself… you saved my life from that operation, if it weren't for you I wouldn't even be here now. I know I'm a lot of work, and the thought of marrying someone like me must be very daunting. I just… you've always been there for me, you refuse to ever give up on me. You always know how to make me smile on days when I feel like I'll never be happy or cheerful again. You've always stayed with me in good times and bad, and I think things are only going to get better for us."

A tear rolled down his cheek and he said, "I promised myself I wasn't going to cry. I want to make you happy, too. I want to wake up every morning by your side, I want to spend every day talking to you and thinking of new ways to make you laugh, and I want to close out each day holding your hand. I know it probably sounds corny, but well… you have a way of making my brain go haywire and I can't seem to think straight. I just love you so much, I don't want to go through life without you. Will you marry me?"

He had managed to sound confident through that, but now his nerves were shot and he was worried about what she was thinking, because she hadn't said a word. Was she happy? Upset? Maybe the ring was tacky, maybe he should have done this on another day. Was this romantic enough? He should have thought of something more romantic. If she said no, he could handle it, right? But what if this ruined everything for them? Maybe he should have left well enough alone. If she said yes, would she agree out of love or obligation? He didn't want her to agree only because she felt bad for saying no.

"But don't feel like you have to say yes, I want you to do what you what makes you happy," he said quickly, voicing his doubts. "Is the ring okay? We can exchange it, if you want. Is this okay? I can do the proposal again and make it more romantic. And if you do say no, I'm okay with staying just friends, I'm okay with anything as long as I'm with you. I'm babbling, I'm so sorry, I-"

Zoey put a finger to his lips to quiet him. Tears welled up in her eyes and she wiped them away. "Yes."

"Yes?" he said in disbelief.

She got down on her knees with him. "It would be an honor and a privilege to be your wife," she whispered.

He let out a sigh of relief. "Can I put the ring on your finger?"

She nodded and held out her hand. He tried to take the ring out of the box, but his hands were shaking so badly he dropped it. He picked it up and managed to get it on her finger on the third try. He kissed the ring, and she smiled in excitement.

"Cam let me practice on him because I was freaking out so much, I was a mess," Mike giggled, from nerves and shock and excitement. "I was so worried I'd screw everything up. You know you've got a best friend when he'll let you propose to him five times."

"Looks like that empty house of yours isn't going to stay empty long," said Zoey as they stood back up. She stole a kiss and started humming the song Mike wrote for her. They started walking again down the street as Zoey admired her ring, reflecting the glow of the sun.

* * *

><p>Zoey was sitting on a fold-up chair along with dozens of other students. They were outside, the sky was cloudy but it didn't look like it was going to rain. She was very nervous, she was twisting her engagement ring on her finger without even realizing she was doing it.<p>

Today was the day of her graduation. She'd worked hard for four years, and today was the day it would all pay off. She was chosen as valedictorian, even though she knew for a fact that there were other graduates in her class that were smarter and more deserving. She had prepared a speech and she'd practiced it before Gwen, but she was still a big ball of nerves.

She was called up to the stage. She was given her diploma, and then she turned to face the crowd to deliver her speech. She cleared her throat and took a moment to brace herself and to scan the crowd for familiar faces. She saw her parents, she saw Gwen, Trent, their son, and Cameron, and she saw Mike's parents, but not Mike. She wasn't worried, but graduation wasn't something she wanted to go through without him. But she couldn't wait, so she began her speech.

"Today is a day to be thankful and to be inspired," she said with a smile. "We have much to be thankful for. We have received a great education thanks to our fine administration and teachers. We are prepared to move on and to take on whatever challenges come next in our lives.

"Fellow graduates, the education we received here is a great gift. We have had a high degree of academic excellence and whether you intend to continue your education or not, we will all benefit from what we learned here.

"My college experience wasn't always a happy one. For a while there I thought I'd lost someone very near and dear to me. It's the only reason why I'm the one up here giving this speech, I wasn't the smartest or most gifted, I poured everything in my schoolwork just to cope." She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Mike run in and take the empty seat by his parents. He looked flustered, she wondered which alter had been out. But despite being flustered, he looked handsome in his suit, as always. He looked up at her and gave an apologetic smile. He mouthed the words, _Sorry, I'm here now._ He held up a camera and snapped a picture of her in at the podium.

Her smile grew wider and she said, "But he's back now, even with everything against him he came home. That leads me to the next part of my speech, we also have our loved ones to be thankful for. Our friends and family are the ones who give us strength to keep going, even when we can't see the end of the tunnel. Without all the wonderful people in my corner inspiring, encouraging, and supporting me, I wouldn't be here today.

"When you leave here today, celebrate what you have accomplished, but always strive to be the inspiration and the support for others around you. Thank you."

She received an applause, and after the ceremony finished her parents found and hugged her. Mike's parents congratulated her, as well.

"Congratulations, Zoey!" said Cameron as he hugged her tightly.

Gwen hugged her too, and said, "Good speech, you did great up there. Let me see the ring."

Zoey showed her her engagement ring. "Nice. Not really my taste, but very pretty. Trent got me a black engagement ring."

"And an onyx wedding ring instead of a diamond, he knows you too well," said Zoey, smiling. "You're coming to the wedding, right?"

"I've never liked weddings, but I wouldn't miss yours for the world."

Trent hugged Zoey as well, he hugged her with one arm and in the other held their son Tom. "Congrats, Zoey. "You know, Tom will be starting kindergarten soon, I can't think of a better teacher."

"I'm still working on finding a school, but I'd love to teach him."

"Paparazzi!" said Mike, and they all posed and let him take a picture of them all together. They then dispersed to let Mike and Zoey talk.

Mike snapped more pictures of Zoey in her navy graduation gown. "This is front page news right here."

Zoey smiled and posed for him, and then she took the camera and took a picture of the two of them together.

"I'm so proud of you Zoey, you fulfilled your dream!" he said happily.

"This is all going by so fast, it feels like just yesterday I took my first steps on campus, and now here I am, a diploma in my hand. Pretty soon I'm going to have my very own classroom, it's almost overwhelming, I might faint."

"If you do, I'll catch you."

"Will you really?" she started leaning over backwards. "Oh no, I'm going to faint. If only there was a brave, strong man around to catch me!"

He scooped her up in his arms. "You made a big mistake, Zoey. Now that I've got you in my arms, I don't think I can put you back down."

"It's just as well, you need the practice for when you carry me over the threshold after the wedding."

There was some real paparazzi around and they got pictures of Zoey and a few of her with Mike. She told them how good it felt to graduate, but didn't say much more than that. When things started calming down, she and Mike left. She changed into a spare set of clothes; Mike had insisted she pack nice ones but he didn't say why. She found out why when he took her to an expensive restaurant.

"Mike, this place is too expensive."

"You don't graduate every day, and I can afford it, I promise."

They ate dinner and then went dancing. The music that night was slow and romantic, just what they wanted. It was the first time in three years that Zoey got to dance with him, and she so kept him out there on the dance floor, long after everyone left and the music stopped. She kept her arms around him and her head on his shoulder, and he buried his face in her sweet smelling hair. They danced to the music in their own heads, and didn't leave until they absolutely had to. But then they moved to the parking lot and kept dancing slowly. Even after their legs got tired, neither one wanted to break off the embrace. If they could, they would have stayed like that forever.

* * *

><p>"Zoey, do you remember that time capsule we buried when we were teenagers?" asked Mike one night while they were talking on the phone before bed.<p>

"Oh, I'd forgotten all about that!"

"It's been six years, do you think it's been long enough?"

"I think it's been plenty long enough. I'm free tomorrow, I'll come over and we can dig it up."

"I can't wait."

The next morning, Zoey came over early, and they got right to work digging up the capsule. They washed off the dirt with the water hose and then brought it inside. They took it to the kitchen table. Slowly, Mike opened it. Everything they had put inside it was still perfectly intact.

Mike took out the photos first. "We haven't changed very much, but we did change a little. My hair's a little shorter now, and yours is just a little bit longer. You're still just has beautiful as ever, though."

Zoey took out Mike's love notes. She read the first one aloud. "My dearest Zoey, I'm not very good putting my thoughts on paper, but I'll do my best here. I told someone once that you're the North Star in my cloudy night sky, and it'll still be true when we dig up this capsule, whether it be in five years or fifty. And though there will be times when we're apart…" At this part, Zoey teared up and had to take a minute before she could continue. "I hope we can always be together. You're all I think about, you're all I've ever wanted and I want to spend every day loving you even more than the last."

Zoey admired Mike's drawings while he took out the letter he had written to himself. He didn't remember what he had written, so whatever it said would be a surprise. He read it silently to himself.

_Dear future me,_

_If you're reading this, it means you made it! We never chose a set date to open this box so you might be twenty-five, or you might even be eighty. Wherever you're at, it means you're still going and you're still fighting. I haven't been able to find a job yet, so hopefully you have. Who knows, maybe you're a famous movie star by now. As long as you aren't living off the money you saved up from birthdays and your allowance, you're probably doing all right. _

_I wonder what it's like in the future. It's a scary place, full of unknowns. Maybe by now they've cured all disease, and you don't have a disorder anymore. Or maybe the future isn't the utopia everyone envisions and you still take medication every day and you still see a doctor every week and you still have anxiety attacks every now and again. That's okay, there's no tragedy in that. I'm learning that it's okay to struggle and fall, as long as you have someone there to help you back up. I'm not ashamed of myself anymore, so you're not, either._

_In case you've forgotten, I'll tell you what's going on now in the present, or past I guess, for you. Zoey and I have been dating for about five months now, I know, I can't believe it either. I can't bring myself to kiss her, it's like I have this fear that if I kiss her, I'll wake up and it will have all been a dream. Hopefully by now you've worked up the courage to kiss her, but since we're the same person and I know you so well, I wouldn't be surprised if you still hadn't kissed her. But please, do us both a favor and kiss her at least once, don't let your fears stop you._

_You being in the future, you probably have more wisdom than me, along with a flying car. But I just want to remind you, in case you've forgotten, don't ever let Zoey go, or forget to love her. She's the best thing that's ever happened to you, and a future where you're not with her isn't a future I want to have. But make sure you don't forget Cam either, or Mom and Dad. We don't remember everything we're supposed to with a disorder like this, so I wanted to make sure that no matter what happens, you don't forget what's most important. _

_Before I end this letter to future Mike, I just want to say that, in spite of all of my struggles, doubts, and fears, I really think I can make it, and I think you will, too. I used to think that there was nothing for me, that my future was bleak and empty, but I have high hopes for myself, and so I expect you to make something of yourself. Maybe you're a famous movie star, or maybe you sweep the floors. Either way, as long as you still have all your loved ones around you and you remember to love them, then we're doing all right. That's good enough for me, and so it's good enough for you, too._

Mike smiled, thinking of his younger self. So much had happened since then, and so much more would happen, and he looked forward to it.

They went through the rest of the items in the box, and then they put them back in, along with a few new photos, drawings, keepsakes, letters and love notes. Mike put his letter to himself back in, as well. He wanted to read it again someday.

They buried the box again, and this time they decided to wait a few decades before reopening it. Once it was completely buried, Mike pulled Zoey in and kissed her. It wasn't the first time he had initiated a kiss, but he felt he owed it to past Mike. If only younger Mike could see him now, see how far he'd come when once he'd believed himself to be a hopeless case. He still had MPD and he didn't have a flying car, but he had all his loved ones, and he would make sure he would never forget to love them.

* * *

><p>Neither Mike nor Zoey considered themselves celebrities, but that's what they were now. They got lots of fan mail, and every now and again the paparazzi surprised them. One day though, Mike got a call and was asked to speak to kids with MPD. At first, he thought about turning them down. Now that he had his memories back from Mal, he had even more reason to avoid the paparazzi. He didn't need or want the world to know about that, it was too personal and he only trusted a few people with the story.<p>

"They'll probably want me to talk about my childhood and all the abuse, I don't know if I'm ready to talk about that, or if I want the whole world to know about it."

"You don't have to give the details," said Zoey. They were sitting on the couch in the living room of his parents' new house. They had been watching Total Warriors 3 again and eating popcorn when the phone rang.

"People are already pushing me to write a book or sign a movie deal. The book thing isn't so bad I guess, but in a movie they're sure to exaggerate everything or portray it in the wrong light. And I don't want my story used as a cash grab anyway. Maybe I'll change my mind someday about the book, but for now it's a no. If I agree to speak, they'll think I've changed my mind and they'll hound me even more."

"They will, but they'll get tired and leave eventually, once they learn that no means no."

"Why would they want me to speak, anyway? I'm terrible at public speaking."

"No you're not. You're a great actor, acting and public speaking are pretty similar."

"When I'm acting, I'm pretending to be someone else. Public speaking is just me up there, trying not to make a fool of myself. If I screw up, no one will take me or the cause seriously."

"No one's forcing you to do this, but I really think you should. Kids with mental disorders need people to look up to, don't you wish you had had someone with DID to look up to when you were a kid?"

"Well, yeah. It would have made me feel not so alone."

"And you wouldn't have cared if that person had trouble speaking in public, you wouldn't have expected them to be perfect. Look what you've accomplished, you survived through a terrible nightmare, and you went on to become an actor and you're making a life for yourself. Not to mention, you won a million dollars. I don't think that's your greatest achievement, but it is impressive. The best thing about you, I think, is that no matter how bad things get, you're always optimistic and determined to keep going. That's the best message you can send to these kids."

"You're right, I should do this. Just keep your fingers crossed nothing goes wrong."

"I won't have to," she said as she kissed him.

Two weeks later, he was in a big college auditorium. He was wearing a suit and tie to look nice, but he felt so self-conscious. The place was packed, every seat had adults and kids, and Mike was growing more nervous every second. There was a camera crew, this was going on TV, he hadn't been told that part.

He was seriously considering cancelling all this, he was sure to ruin everything, and on TV no less. But then he noticed a little girl with pigtails walking to her seat. She was speaking, but then she seemed to stiffen and started holding herself differently.

"Is that what it looks like to other people when I switch?" he quietly asked himself. He wondered what had happened to that little girl to make her develop multiple personalities. It was then that he realized just how important this was. Kids like that little girl needed someone to tell them everything was going to be all right, and it would have the most meaning coming from someone like him, someone who knew what they were going through. He had to help them, he had to give them hope. He was still very nervous and he really didn't want this to be shown on TV, but maybe that was for the best. Others outside this auditorium would hear his message, and not just people with DID, but people with other mental disorders, as well. This might be the most important thing he would ever do. He refused to back down now, if for no other reason, he had to do this for that little girl.

When it was time for him to speak, he went up to the podium and took a deep breath and cleared his throat.

"Good evening. My name is Mike Skinner, and I have Multiple Personality Disorder. I almost didn't make it tonight, Svetlana is missing a gymnastics competition because of this, and she's not very happy with me tonight."

The crowd laughed, and he felt himself relax a little. Jack told him if he could make his audience laugh, it would make him and everyone else feel more comfortable, and he was right. Laughter really was the best medicine.

"It's a good thing it was just Svetlana, she and I get along pretty well for the most part. If it had been Vito, you would have had to find another speaker. It's hard getting along when everyone in your head has their own opinion, especially when it comes to music. I carry CDs in my car that have opera, rap, and folk songs to keep the peace on long drives. I actually have one song that's a mix of all three, with some Japanese pop on the side. That song's an adventure from start to finish."

That got more laughs, and he found himself smiling.

"When the others are in control, obviously I want to get control back as soon as possible, but that's not always a good thing. I've come back after gymnastics tournaments when people were asking Svetlana questions about how she trains and how she does all those stunts, and I have no idea what I'm talking about. I usually just make something up and they buy it. I've come back while Manitoba is busy wrangling snakes, so I'm pretty much immune to snake venom now. I also once came back when he was messing with a bear, it's a good thing I'm a fast runner."

The crowd was loving this, it made him feel more confident.

"It's not always easy for Zoey, either. Chester once came out in the middle of a kiss, and let me just say, if she can still kiss me after that, there's nothing she can't do."

He waited for the laughing to die down before continuing. "You're a really great audience, by the way. I felt like I was going to explode from nerves before, but now I've contained it to just my hands. You probably can't see it, but they're shaking like crazy.

"I guess you're all here to hear my life's story, but I have to warn you, it's not a very happy one." The crowd quieted at that. Mike started to walk around on the stage to soothe his nerves. He had a microphone attached to his ear so they could still hear him. He was able to display more confidence than he felt, but he was more confident than he had expected to be. "At least, it didn't start out happy. I won't go into the details, but I was abused from the time I was a toddler through the age of eight. I developed this disorder when I was five, after the loss of my siblings. It was the only way I could cope with the situation, and though it protected me, it's done me more harm than good. While most of my personalities are benign, there are some that wish to do me harm, and one causes harm and chaos in any way he can. He did for two years when I was a child, and he did again when I competed on Total Drama and some time after. That's how I was adopted, one of my alters ran away, and I was found and taken in by a couple who had compassion on me.

"When I first got my diagnosis, I denied it with everything in me. How could my imaginary friends have been brought to life, and in this way? How could it have happened to me, and why? I got angry, too. Most people who know me know I don't get angry often, but on that day I had nothing short of a meltdown. It's okay to get angry sometimes, but try not to break your mother's valuables. Again, sorry about that, Mom. After I calmed down a little, I tried bargaining. I thought if I did everything I was supposed to do I could be cured, but as you all know, that's not the case. I got very depressed after that, I thought my life was over. How could I live my life if it wasn't even mine half the time? But eventually, I came to accept it with the help of my family. I couldn't have had better parents, they've always been patient with me and they've never let me down, not once. I know it was never easy for them, and I can never thank them enough.

"For a long time, I thought I was a slave to my personalities. They dominated my life, and it barely felt like it belonged to me. There were times when I even doubted that I was the original owner of the mind. I've hit some very low points in my life, I've been bullied and stigmatized for my condition, and I always will be. But despite being shunned by some, there have always been people who didn't cast me out. My foster parents were the first, followed by my grandparents, and later, my friends from Total Drama and my fiancé. For a long time, no one in school wanted to be in the same room with me, let alone befriend me. But some of those people came back and stood by me when I needed it, even one of the bullies who had once harassed me for so long. That taught me to not shut people out of my life completely, and to be open to giving forgiveness, even when they might not deserve it. People change, sometimes for the better. There will always be people who will reject me because of my diagnosis, but I know I have people standing by me who won't.

"The reason I'm here today is because I don't want to see any child go through what I went through. When I was a kid, I believed I deserved the abuse I was subjected to, I didn't question it. I thought it was normal, I thought all parents did that. I thought it was my fault, I thought I was a bad kid. Even if I had realized it wasn't normal, I was too scared to go to anyone for help. Even after I was adopted, I was ostracized and ridiculed, and I thought it was fair. Why would anyone want to hang out with a freak like me? Once again, I blamed myself. To this day, I'm quick to blame myself when things don't turn out the way they're supposed to.

"Maybe some of you feel the same way. Let me tell you this, it doesn't matter who you are or what you've done, no child deserves to be abused like that. No one deserves to be ostracized or ridiculed for a condition they have no control over. If you're trying and giving it your all, people should respect that and try to support you, not make you feel ashamed for something you didn't ask for. And if you need help, never be too scared or ashamed to ask for it. I wish I'd had someone tell me that when I was younger.

"I know some of you are adopted, like I was. I was teased a little about that, but for the most part that fact was overlooked because of my MPD. I want to tell you that there is no shame in being adopted. It doesn't matter why you had to go through foster care, whether because of death or your parent's inability to care for you or for any other reason. If I hadn't been taken in by the Skinners, I don't know where I would be right now, or what my life would be like. We might not look the same, but that has never mattered to me, and it shouldn't matter to anyone else. Family doesn't end in blood.

"It's great to see so many people here tonight. Whatever mental disorder you may have, it reminds me that I'm not alone, like I once thought I was. Before you all leave here today, I want everyone to get someone's number or email address, so you can keep in touch and support each other. I wish I had known someone with the disorder growing up, my parents were always supportive but they just couldn't understand what it was like. This is a unique opportunity for you all to find someone who understands what you're going through and who will support you.

"I don't know about you guys, but it takes a lot to keep me going. I have to see my psychiatrist every week, and I've taken pills in every color of the rainbow. Sometimes I feel weak because of it. Why can't I get by on my own, why do I have to take so much medication and see a shrink every week? Other people get by without pills and doctors, why can't I? The answer is, I can get by without pills and doctors, but I don't like the way I feel when I don't take my pills or see my doctor. I've tried to get by without my pills, and it just doesn't give a good result. I'm always nervous and anxious, but I get more so without my meds. I'm always a mess, but my pills make me a little less of a mess. My parents taught me that taking meds doesn't make me weak, and I have a hard time believing it sometimes. But I'm happier when I take my meds, and it makes it easier for my family and friends to put up with me." That got a few laughs.

"Now, I know that you all have probably been picked on, just like I was. The kids at school had an infinite number of names to call me, their favorite was Multiple Mike. It hurt a lot, and I know you know how that feels. It's hard enough sharing your brain with other people, you don't need people rubbing it in your face. It culminated in a prank on the night of a dance, where my crush and some people from my class egged me and made fun of me. You can't hear it on the video, and I've never told anyone this before, but one of them even told me to just put a gun in my mouth." There were several gasps from the audience. He took a few seconds before continuing. "That's the lowest I've ever felt. Killing myself didn't seem like such a bad idea that night, I would be free from my disorder and not have to face the shame and ridicule I faced every day. I came so close to doing it, I was only an inch away from death that night. At the time, it appeared to be the only escape I had left. It was only remembering the love of my family that kept me from going through with it. If I had gone through with it, I wouldn't be here tonight. That's what drove me to go on Total Drama, because I had to make a change. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you should go on a reality show to fix your problems, that wasn't really my smartest move. Fame and fortune doesn't solve anything, more often than not it just causes more problems. But I was desperate, and I thought it was my best option. I really got lucky, Total Drama could never have fixed my problems, if anything, it should have just made everything worse. But I got lucky, and I met the most wonderful girl in the world, and also the most loving and patient. She's sitting down in the front row right now as my cheerleader."

He smiled down at Zoey and she blew him a kiss. Someone from the audience raised their hand.

"Are you saying that all we need is to find true love and that will solve all our problems?" a young girl asked.

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all. Love is what saved me, but it's not a miracle cure. My parents loved me enough to take me in and give me everything I needed, knowing full well that it would turn their worlds upside down. Zoey's love has given me strength in the dark times, and for a long time I believed I needed her to live. But the truth is, I don't. The way I love Zoey has changed over time. My love for her started out as something like idolization, I saw her as utter perfection. Over time, I stopped seeing our relationship like a fairytale, I know she's not perfect and that our love can't fix all our problems. I can have a good life on my own, we both can, but we love and admire each other and want to stay together.

"In our time together, Zoey has helped me build my self-esteem, something I'm awful at. I now see that I can achieve my own dreams and fight my own battles, and she can do the same without me. I can have a good life on my own and still do great things, but I don't want to, not without her by my side. She's my reason for fighting, she catches me when I fall, and she can always cheer me up, no matter how low I get. We don't have a fairytale romance, although we like to pretend sometimes. My curse can't be lifted with true love's kiss, and I'm okay with that. I accept that there's no easy solution and so has she, but she stays with me anyway. That's what true love is, not saving the day, but sticking with the beast, knowing he can't ever be Prince Charming and loving him anyway.

"You don't have to fall in love to survive, either. You should have someone to support you, but it doesn't have to be a partner. Maybe it's your best friend, maybe it's your parents or grandparents, maybe it's your doctor or a teacher, or maybe it's a pet. As long as they encourage you to get through the day and keep on fighting, it doesn't matter what shape or form they come in.

"I think the most important thing I can tell you tonight is this: don't ever think you're any less of a person just because of your disorder. I still struggle with this, I still think of myself as a freak sometimes. I try not to, but it's in my nature to put myself down. But I decided years ago that my condition would not define me, that I would give people a reason to remember me that wasn't my disorder. I'm still working on it. I'll be acting in my theater's production of Les Miserables in a few months, I'm playing Cosette." To the laughs, he smiled and said, "No, not really, they turned me down for that role. I'm actually playing Marius. It was always my dream to be an actor, and I'm fulfilling it. Ever since I was little I loved movies, stories and my imagination were the only escape I had. I wanted to be brave and strong like the heroes, they always won in the end and they were liked by everyone. Acting as someone else was better than being just Mike. I still love acting, but I don't need the escape anymore, not like I used to. It's not easy and I don't expect it to ever be easy, but it is worth it. Once you make the decision that you're stronger than your disorder and you set out to prove it to the world, it's amazing what you can do."

The audience clapped and cheered for him, he even got a standing ovation. After he left the stage, people of all ages came over to shake his hand and tell him how much he meant to them.

"I can't believe you won Total Drama All Stars, I didn't think people like us were capable of things like that. I don't have MPD, but I think what you said applies to most every disorder. Thank you."

"I'm going to start seeing my psychiatrist again, and start taking my pills again. I did feel better with them."

"You really encouraged our son, he had all but given up, but you inspired him to keep going. I can never thank you enough for that."

He was surprised to see his doctor in line.

"Dr. Lace? What are you doing here?"

"Mike, I'm not your doctor anymore, you can call me Aria if you like," she said with a warm smile.

"I'll never get used to calling you that, it feels wrong."

"Carrot Top called me a few days ago, there was a thunderstorm he was afraid of. He mentioned you had something important going on tonight."

"Is he still calling you? I'm sorry, he still doesn't trust my new doctor very much."

"I don't mind him calling me, especially if it calms him. By the way, he also mentioned that one of your other alters hid your car keys in your spare shoes."

"Thanks, I was looking for them everywhere. Zoey drove me here tonight since I couldn't find them."

"You know Mike, the first time I saw you, I was scared stiff."

"Really? Why?" he asked.

"Up until then, I'd only treated children with things like anxiety or autism, common things that I'd learned all about in college. But then your mother called me and told me about you, and how it was very likely you had DID. I immediately started researching it and talking to my colleagues to prepare myself. It's rare, so I didn't focus on it in college as much as I did other things. You came in, and at first glance there appeared to be nothing amiss, but that didn't last very long. When your alters first started showing themselves, I was worried that I would mess up and do you more harm than good. It was a learning experience for me, and very difficult, but I'm glad I got to be your doctor. I came here tonight to brag on one of my most successful patients."

"But you never cured me, how can I be considered a success?"

"Mike, I've helped "cure" people in the past who went on to do absolutely nothing with their lives. But here you are, making a difference and helping others in spite of your condition. Better to do something great with a disorder than to do nothing without one. I'm so proud of you, come see me sometime. Since we're not doctor-patient anymore, now we can just be friends."

"I'd like that very much," he said as he hugged her.

The little girl he had seen before came over and hugged him around the waist. "I always wanted to be a doctor, but my sister says I can't because I have MPD. I'm gonna show her, I want to be just like you when I grow up."

"You're going to do great, kid," he said, and she smiled up at him. She ran along to join her parents, and Mike shook hands with everyone else. It was a little overwhelming, he'd never seen so many people wanting to meet him before. He couldn't stop smiling, even though shaking so many hands and talking to so many people got tiresome after a while.

After everyone filed out, two more people came up to him, two people he had never expected to see again. It took him a few seconds to recognize them, but once he did, it made him feel very uncomfortable. They hadn't seen each other since they were children, and Mike hadn't thought about them much.

"Hello Mike, long time no see, huh?"

"Hi Brian, hi Tina. What are you doing here?"

"We heard you were giving a speech tonight, and we thought we'd come," said Brian.

He and Brian looked very similar, though he was stockier than Mike and not as tall, and his hair was tamer. Tina had dark brown hair that hit her shoulders, and she had the same eyes as Mike, the ones they had inherited from their father. Behind them, he saw the old woman he once spoke to in the park, the woman who said he looked like her son. He now knew her to be Brian and Tina's grandmother, his grandmother.

The old woman came to stand before him. She held up a photograph that looked almost exactly like him. "Unbelievable. You look more like him than Brian does," she murmured. He caught a glimpse of the picture, Victor Wise was smiling in a prom picture with his date, the woman who would later be his wife. He looked so happy in it, he looked so human.

She looked him right in the eye. "Did my son hurt you? Is he the one who did this to you?"

Mike hesitated, but then replied, "Yes."

She turned away and started to cry. "How could anyone hurt their own children?" she asked herself. He started to reach out to her, but the image of the picture in his mind held him back. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so, so sorry." She walked away, and Mike felt like apologizing, even though he had nothing to apologize for.

"Is she going to be okay?" he asked. He felt sorry for her, it didn't matter that she was the mother of his father.

"She'll be all right," said Tina.

"We thought now might be the best time to talk about… things," said Brian.

"What's there to talk about?" said Mike. He was dreading this conversation. Zoey came over to his side and asked, "Who are you talking to?"

"Brian and Tina, this is Zoey, my fiancé. Zoey, this is Brian and Tina, my half-brother and sister."

"Oh. Should I go?"

"You can stay, if you want," said Brian. "We wanted apologize, I'm not quite sure how to say this."

"What do you have to apologize for? You had nothing to do with what was going on, and even if you had known, there was nothing you could have done."

"Well, you see Mike, a lot happened after your house burned down and you disappeared," said Tina. "They called Mom that night and told her that Father was dead, and she told us the next morning. It was devastating, we lost our father and we didn't know why. But then we found out that he was dead because he'd been at your house the night of the fire. No big deal, Eleanor might have needed something and he was just trying to help. But then they said they found his body in bed with her, and there was no explaining that away. They couldn't find you anywhere and so it seemed obvious that you were behind it, but that was when everyone decided to come out and act like they had been on your side from the beginning. They all said how they knew you were being abused but they didn't want to intervene because it was none of their business, but the truth was they didn't want to get their hands dirty with a family with a reputation for insanity. They waited until it was too late to do anything to offer you any support. Your mother was dead and you had vanished, so they couldn't ask if Victor really had done those things, but everyone put the pieces together without any difficulty.

"Father was exposed as the monster he was, and it shamed our whole family. They didn't blame us, but they never treated us the same after that. It's hard when the person you thought was perfect turns out to be anything but. It broke our mom's heart, she never trusted another man after that. For a while, Brian and I blamed you for what happened. To us, you represented his betrayal, and we hated you. It was easier to blame you, the boy we hardly knew and everyone thought was insane, than to blame our father, the man we loved and thought could do no wrong. But after a few years, we realized how stupid that was. You didn't choose him to be your father, and you had it worse off than we did. We saw ourselves as the victims for a long time, but we finally opened our eyes and saw that you were the real victim."

"We wanted to make amends, and to apologize for everything," said Brian. "We know what happened to you wasn't our fault, but since father would never have apologized, we feel we need to in his place. We know you probably don't want us around, we must remind you of him, but we at least wanted to talk to you, let you know that we do care about what happened to you."

"If you want to never see us again, we completely understand. We just wanted to give you the choice," said Tina.

This was very hard for Mike. They were right, seeing them did remind him of his biological father, and all those horrific memories were suddenly at the forefront of his mind. He wanted to just forget those eight years had ever happened, but now he was being forced to confront them again. He wanted to say no, he didn't want to see them anymore because it was too painful. But at the same time, he knew this was difficult for them as well. No one was comfortable here, but they were still making the effort to make amends. They were his half-siblings, he didn't want to just cut them out of his life forever. Making amends would be good for him and for them.

"I want to make peace and try to forget what happened," he said at last. "It's going to take a long time for me to be comfortable around you, but I'm willing to try. Let's take it slow."

They both smiled. "Would you like to meet your nieces and nephew?"

"I'm an uncle?" said Mike incredulously.

"Kids, come out and meet Uncle Mike."

Three young girls and a boy came over. They were accompanied by Tina's husband and Brian's wife.

"The girls are mine, Emma, Lisa, and Julie," said Brian. "The boy is Tina's, Elliot."

"So you're Uncle Mike? We saw you on TV," said Emma.

"You were awesome!" said Lisa.

Mike didn't know what to make of this, this was the last thing he had expected. He was suddenly an uncle, and despite his feelings of unease, he had to admit that these kids were sweet. They made him feel less uncomfortable.

Elliot hugged him around the waist and said, "Can we visit you sometime, Uncle Mike?"

"Maybe sometime, we'll see." The more he thought about it, the more he realized he wouldn't mind seeing them again.

Brian and Tina both shook Mike's hand, and then they took their kids and left. They went to their grandmother and tried to coax her into going with them, but she was still crying and rooted to the spot. Mike couldn't ignore her, and he went over to talk to her. Zoey followed suit.

"Mrs. Wise?" he said as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I'll go," she mumbled.

"No, wait. I don't want you to leave here like this. I know you must feel partially responsible for what happened-"

"He was my son, my only son, I should have seen it."

"No one else saw it, either. Not the police or my teacher, not even his own wife."

"Did he murder your siblings, my grandchildren?"

"No, my mother did that. He hurt them, but he didn't kill them."

She seemed relieved to hear that, but it was a small relief. She continued weeping.

"I don't blame you for what happened, Mrs. Wise. It wasn't your fault."

"He was a monster, and I was his mother. After everything he did to you, you can look me in the eye with pity and forgiveness?" she said as she met his eyes. "You don't hate me for what happened?"

"I don't hate you. It's hard being around you, it hurts, but I don't hate you."

The flow of tears stopped, she looked up at him and said, "Thank you, Mike."

He gave her a little smile and said, "Maybe I'll see you in the park sometime."

She offered him a quivery little smile in return. "I'd like that."

She left with Brian and Tina then, and as they watched them leave, Mike put an arm around Zoey's shoulders and said, "I'm emotionally drained, but not in a bad way." He was more tired emotionally than he was physically.

"That was very brave of you, I'm glad you're making amends," said Zoey. "Maybe someday you'll be able to see them without thinking of your father."

"Maybe I can, I hope so."

One more person came over to see them. She had wild, dark red curls. "Hello Mike, I'm the one who spoke with you on the phone," she said with a Scottish lilt. "My name is Esmeralda Pond, your grandmother probably mentioned me."

Mike's eyes widened. "Are you _the_ Esmeralda, the one with ten personalities?"

She smiled. "I see she did mention me. I wish I could have met you sooner, but I haven't talked to your grandmother in so long that I only recently found out you even existed. I wish I had known sooner, I could have been a guide to you when you were a lad."

"I'm glad to get to meet you now, at least."

"I run a foundation for children who've been abused or neglected, especially children who developed mental disorders as a result. It's to increase awareness and help find them good homes, and help them not feel like outcasts, like you and I did. Would you like to join? You could spread the impact you had here today to others, your story is an inspiration."

"Yeah, okay, I'd love to help. Maybe I could talk to my stage manager about donating a certain amount from ticket sales to the cause."

"That's a wonderful idea. Now, I know you must be exhausted so I'll let you go, but here's my number, we'll talk more later. Mike, I want you to know that you're making a difference. You're just one man, but you're helping so many people."

"Thanks Esmeralda."

Mike and Zoey left the auditorium. Mike was tired, but he was in high spirits. He really was making a difference, and something good had come from his disorder, something he hadn't believed possible. If having to go through all that meant he could help others and prevent them from going through what he had suffered, it was worth it to him. There was a plan for his life, after all.

* * *

><p>After Mike had defeated Mal once again and got his life back, there were things he needed to do. He knew who Jake was now, and he knew that what Mal had said to him on the island was just a cruel, sick joke, and he hadn't even known it at the time. It made him hate Mal even more.<p>

He asked Jack to go with him back to where he used to live. The house had not been rebuilt after all this time, no one lived there. There was no grass where the house once stood, it was all dry

dirt. Nothing would grow there anymore.

They took shovels and began to dig. This was a very hard decision for Mike to make, but it was what he believed was right. The swimming pool was no longer there, but he knew where to dig.

The grave was shallow so it didn't take much digging. They found Jake's bones in the dirt, still wrapped in his blanket. With him was the old baseball they used to play with. He'd buried it with him on that night, since he no longer had anyone to play with.

Mike gently lifted him out and they filled the hole back in. After some digging around, they found Lizzie's grave, as well.

A few days later, they reburied the bones in the graveyard in Mike's town. He believed they deserved a real funeral since they hadn't gotten one before. It was just Mike, Zoey, Jack, Holly, and Cameron at the service. During the service, Mike was too sad and drained to even cry. Zoey held his hand through the whole thing, she was his anchor.

He wasn't able to visit their graves again for several months, it was too painful. But when springtime came, so did Lizzie's birthday, and he couldn't overlook that.

"Hey guys," he said as he knelt down by their graves side by side. He had chosen a place for them by a lake, it was the most beautiful part of the cemetery. On their stones was written, _They were loved more than words can say._ "It's been so long since we've talked. There's so much I want to tell you, but I don't know where to begin. I asked Zoey to marry me, she said yes, can you believe it?"

Talking to them was calming, he could almost pretend they were really there, listening. Being here brought on the question that plagued him: why not him? Why did they have to die, and why was he allowed to live? It didn't seem fair. But he forced the question away; he would never know the answer, and dwelling on it wouldn't change anything. It was a mystery, and it would always be a mystery. Even though it didn't always seem like it, the fact that he was still alive was a gift, and he would make the most of it.

"We're going to be married in the summer, it's going to be a beautiful ceremony. I wish you could be there. I wish I could hear your voices." Tears began to stream down his cheeks. "If only I could have protected you like promised I would… but that's enough about that. I know you're both in a better place, you couldn't be happier and you wouldn't want to come back even if you could. But I wish you could. Maybe it's selfish, but I just wish I could have had more time with you, you always made me happy, even in the worst of times."

Zoey was watching from afar, letting Mike have a moment with his brother and sister alone. She was looking at a drawing Mike had drawn of them, since there were no pictures of them in existence. He had drawn it from memory, and he drew them smiling. This was how he wanted to remember them, he wanted to remember them happy. She picked up a box of rose seedlings and carried them over.

"Jake, Lizzie, this is Zoey, the love of my life," he said as she knelt down beside him. "I wish you could meet her, she's the most wonderful person in the world. You'd love her, too. We brought some flowers for your birthday, Lizzie. We're going to plant them so that they'll last. I remember how you loved flowers."

He and Zoey got to work planting the roses in front of her grave. They were just buds right now, but soon they would blossom into bright red roses.

"She was always so quiet," he was talking to Zoey now. "But I know she had so much to say. She would have been as beautiful as these roses will be."

He took a toy bicycle out of his pocket. "It's not your birthday Jake, but I brought you something, too. You wanted a bike for Christmas. Well, it's a little late, but I got you one. I wish I could have taught you to ride one. I wish you could have flown like you wanted."

He set the bike on his tombstone and looked to Zoey. "He loved to play, and he could always make me laugh. I'm glad I got to have them for a little while, even if it wasn't nearly long enough."

Zoey was crying silently, and she put her arms around him. They sat there in silence for a few minutes, their cheeks wet with tears.

"I'll come back soon, I promise," said Mike, once they were ready to leave. He took Zoey's hand and felt the ring on her finger. They walked out of the cemetery and back to the car.

"Are you okay?" Zoey asked.

"Yeah, I actually am. I feel… peaceful. I thought I wouldn't be able to do it, but talking to them made me feel surprisingly better. I have closure now, now I can move on and look ahead to the rest of my life. Life has never been easy for me, but I see now that all the hardship I went through was leading me to you, my parents, and my friends. I know there are better days ahead, and I'll get to share them with you."

He looked down at her with a smile. She could still see sorrow in his eyes, but in spite of everything he could still smile and keep going.

Zoey put her arms around him and just felt the steady rise and fall of his chest. He nuzzled his face in her hair. Behind her, he watched the sun set.

"I was thinking, maybe we could bump up the wedding to spring," said Zoey. "I've already finished the dress, it wouldn't be too difficult to get everything ready in a month or two. Would you be okay with that? I know I'm being impatient, but I just don't know if I can wait until summer."

"I would love a spring wedding. But I am a little worried about my alters doing something to mess up the ceremony."

"Leave that to me, I already have a plan."

"I still can't believe I'm getting married," he said in awe.

"Neither can I."

"I'll never be able to believe it, not even if we were married for a hundred years."

"What will we do with Satchimo? I'll take allergy medicine every day if you want to keep him."

"I'll let him stay with my parents, it'll give me an excuse to visit them often."

"I can't wait to move into your house, it'll be such a lovely home."

"It's full of memories, that's for sure. I can't wait to make new ones with you."

His little life wasn't perfect, but he wouldn't ask for any other. He had come a long way, he had fought through hell and back, and his efforts had finally paid off in friends and loved ones. It was his life, flawed though it may be, and he was content and happy in it.

_The End_

_**Author's Note:**__ Thank you so much to everyone who left reviews, feedback is so important to me, it lets me know when I'm doing a good job and it can help me make improvements (and my writing can always use improvement). And thanks to everyone for sticking with the story all the way through, I'm so glad you liked it. You've all been so sweet, and I have never gotten this many reviews before, you blew my mind. Thank you for all your support, it means so much to me, more than you know._

_I think this will be my last major zoke fic. I might write some one-shots or little ficlets for my zoke babies every now and again, but that will be it. What I write all depends on if I get hit with the inspiration, so we'll see what comes. Again, thank you all so much, you guys are the best. :)_


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